The Thinker of Solla Sollew
by Ghost Peacock
Summary: A young boy must return the Little Cat's U-Z to the Cat in the Hat in the "trouble-less" town of Solla Sollew. Based on the works of Theodore Seuss Geisel. Disclaimer will be at the end of this story. R&R. Thank you!
1. Overthinking

It was a sad afternoon for little Joe Lesieg. He was inside the house while his mother was out in the yard. She told him to come out and soak up the sun since it was a beautiful day. But it wasn't to Joe. To him, everything seemed ugly.

The house was too hot, the sky was to yellow, and in no time at all his mother would make him attend a class with a special teacher named was Mrs. Kizzlekoo.

Mrs. Kizzlekoo didn't sound mean. Joe met her a few times before. She was a perfectly nice lady with really big hair and a very small head. The problem was Mrs. Kizzlekoo taught kids who were stupid. If you attended a class with her, or anyone like her, it meant you were stupid. At least, that's what Joe thought.

He told his mother how he felt but she shook it off. "You're not stupid Joe. Mrs. Kizzlekoo just wants to help you," she said.

She was right, Joe wasn't stupid. He was a "thinker". Thinkers are anything but stupid. In fact, some of them can think up the greatest inventions in the world if they want.

The problem with thinkers is that they need to learn _and _grow. That way they will be masters at thinking. Joe was not a fast learner and certainly not good at growing. In fact, his thinks more often than not slowed his growing more. If he didn't understand a lesson in class or didn't know what someone else was talking about, his friends would laugh. They liked to call him "Slow Joe".

He hated that nickname. Not just because he didn't think he was slow but because most everyone called him that. It practically became part of his name: Slow Joe Lesieg.

He hated it but among some of his more elaborate thoughts he realized that he didn't so much like the name Joe in the first place. So he came to figure after awhile that Slow Joe, while he didn't prefer it, was stupid to complain about. Why? Because all names are stupid.

* * *

Now on a day like this with Mrs. Kizzlekoo in mind and all, what do you think Joe thought when he opened his window to get some fresh air and saw what looked like a man standing in his yard?

"That's strange. I don't remember there being a man on my lawn," is what he and most people should think.

But stranger then that was that wasn't a man. A man isn't furry with black and white hair and doesn't have paws for feet. A man doesn't have whiskers or wear only a hat. Joe realized it wasn't a man. It was a cat!

"Hello!" the Cat in the Hat said coming up to the window. Joe staggered backwards in fear. He never saw a cat like him before. "I say, what's your name young man?"

Joe quivered, "Slow Joe."

"Why are you sad little Joe slow?" asked the Cat straightening his tie. In a situation like this, one would think you'd question why or how a think like him could be. But Joe couldn't find the words to say anything about it. Once the Cat asked again, Joe decided to give him his insight on the situation and how awful everyone treated him. After Joe was done the Cat in the Hat smiled an amused grin.

"May I come in? I think what you need is a little get-me-up. How about it Joe?"

The Cat walked into the house through the bedroom window before Joe could say no. "You're a thinker you are! I can tell just by looking at you. Many of my patients are fine thinks but you? You are as fine as they come! The only problem is you have no thinks on your mind don't you? Well, luckily, I have a few."

"Who?"

He bowed to Joe's level and took the striped hat off his head. There was another cat underneath it. This cat was much smaller and on his smaller hat read the big letter "A", but he looked like the Cat in the Hat in every other way.

"Hello!" he said. Then he took off his red and white hat to reveal another small cat with a B on his hat.

"Hi there!" That cat took off his hat and there was another cat there with a C on his hat "Greetings," he said.

And so each of the tiny cats took off their hats until they became too hard to see.

"These are my Little Cats, A-Z. They are marvelous thinks, isn't that right cats?" the Cat in the Hat said to the army of tiny clones.

"Oh yes!

Indeed!

Completely and utterly!

Wonderfully!" each Little Cat said in his own way.

Joe spent the rest of his day with those cats. They were excellent thinks. The thinker-ma-wizzers and contraptions they knew how to think up! It was a spectacle to behold for a boy Joe's age.

The Little Cats ran into things, drew pictures on the walls, and ate everything they wanted. The afternoon all Joe's troubles were melting away into nothing. This Cat in the Hat was a miracle think! He wished the day would never have to end.

Then it did.

* * *

Just as Joe felt like he couldn't be any happier with the chaos he was making, the Cat ordered the Little Cats back into his hat. He pulled in a what-you-might-call-it machine with grabbing-got hands and started cleaning the house.

"I'm afraid we need to get going. Say your goodbyes little Joe."

"What? Where are you going?"

The Little Cats said nothing, they merely assembled back into each other's hats and helped the Cat clean up the mess. They tried to send Joe off with some off-handed goodbyes.

"Goodbye!"

"See ya' later!"

"Charmed!"

"Nice house."

"Thank you."

"Farewell," the Little Cat's said. Joe got angry and walked in front of Little Cat A, knocking him and his hat to the ground. The rest of the Little Cats and their hats spilled out of it becoming a mess of tiny thinks all over the ripped up floor. Joe didn't sympathize with their pain at all.

"You said you'd make me happy! You can't go away! I'll be unhappy again!"

"B-but we need to go!" Little Cat A insisted.

"Me too!" said Little Cat B grabbing his fallen hat.

"But it's not fair. You're the worst cats in the world!"

Before Joe could say anything else one of the Cat's hands picked him up by britches. "Little Joe, I need the Little Cats, they're my helpers. I have others it's true but I need all I can get to do what I do. So with that I'm going to leave. But I like you Joe, and the Little Cats do too. We've never had someone who loved our games this much. I promise, we'll see you again."

Joe sighed and bowed his head in disappointment. "Okay," he said. The Cat picked up the rest of the broken things and furniture and put them back together. The Little Cats all hurried from their pile of cats on the floor and back into one another's hat until finally Little Cat A jumped onto the exiting what-you-might-call-it. "Where do you live?" Joe asked the Cat.

"Here and there. There and here. Anywhere really," the Cat said smugly.

"Everyone has to like you wherever you go. You're a miracle think Mr. Cat."

One of the hands patted Joe's hairy head. "Thank you young Joe."

Then he and the Little Cats were gone.

* * *

Joe was as excited as ever that night. When he told his mother about the Cat she smiled a big bright smile. "That sounds like a really fun game sweetheart. I'm real happy you cleaned the house too."

"I hope the Cat comes back again!" Joe said to her as she tucked him in. "He said he would. Then we can play again! And it will be the games I like and-"

"Let's not think too much about cats in top hats tonight. Remember, we see Mrs. Kizzlekingkoo on Monday," said Joe's mother. Then she kissed him goodnight.

Mrs. Kizzlekingkoo and her special class was the last thing on his mind. Joe wished it could stay that way. He hadn't felt so happy in weeks. He needed to meet a good think like the Cat. It reminded him that there was always time after class or at home for a good game.

Finally the small thinker got sleepy and dozed off in his snug bed.

Joe's sleep didn't last long though. He was woken up just as quickly as he went to sleep by an odd sound. It was a tiny sound. One that could only be made from a very tiny person.

"Ooof!"

Ooof? What did that mean? Was it a little think from a country he never heard of? He was told by a cousin of his that plenty of thinks live in your house you might not be aware of.

Joe peered over the side of his bed and saw his jacket. Was his a jacket talking to him? That would be a little too strange even after today.

He picked up the jacket and put his hand in the pocket, where the sound was coming from.

"Aak! Don't squish my hat please!"

Joe looked inside and saw a Little Cat. He was as tall as a marshmallow and as wide as paintbrush. He could barely tell in the dark but the letter "U" was on his hat.

"What are you doing in my jacket?"

"I had nowhere else to go!" the Little Cat said. "There was a big clunk and all of a sudden we fell right out of Little Cat T's hat!

"Whose we?"

"Simple, Little Cats V, W, X, Y and Z! And oh this is bad! How could the Cat miss us? He's never not heard us before!"

"Indeed!" cried an even smaller voice. Little Cat U's hat lifted up to show another little Cat, Little Cat V. "What do we do about Little Cat Z?"

"Little Cat Z?" Joe asked now holding Little Cat U in his hand.

"Little Cat Z!" cried an even tinier voice from an even tinier cat. It was Little Cat W and soon to follow was little Cat X, the size of a pin, Little Cat Y who looked like a dot and under his hat… nothing. The Little Cat under Little Cat Y's hat was so tiny Joe couldn't see him. Before he could assume there was nothing there did a certain something happen.

"I am Little Cat Z!" said a voice. It was a deep and as loud as you could imagine. "Now listen here boy! You're the one that made us fall out of the hat now get us home! Under my hat is the something very powerful."

Joe gathered himself, remembering how he had knocked the Little Cats down and spilling most of them out of Little Cat A's hat. "What's under there?"

"That's not important now. Do as I say and find the Cat in the Hat."

Joe cupped the tower of tiny cats in his hands. "I'd like to get you home now but-"

"Joe?" came the voice of his mother. "Is there someone in there? I hear something."

Joe thought quickly and tucked the cats carefully behind his pillow. His mother came in and asked again who was talking.

"No one!" Joe said with a smile. "You probably just heard something mom. And if that's the case, you need to see a doctor soon! I bet hearing things means your getting old."

"Oh I think I read that somewhere. You smart little boy you! I told you weren't dumb. Anyway, I'm going to bed so you get to sleep too alright?" Then she left Joe alone and he took the cats out from behind the pillow.

"Alright," Little Cat Z said quietly. "I see how it is. But still you got us in this mess to begin with so please get us out of it."

Joe looked at the tiny cats in his hand and thought. If he saved them and got them back home, he'd meet the cat again. He could have more fun then he ever imagined. "Of course I will! You can count on me!" Joe said.

"Alright. Get some rest then," Little Cat Z said as Little Cat Y put the hat back on his head.

"Goodnight,"

"Goodnight,"

"Goodnight,"

"Goodnight," each of them said until Little Cat U crawled out of Joe's hand and curled up next to his pillow.

Joe was even more excited then before. Little Cats were still here. He'd have more fun then before now.


	2. Think Away

"Yoo-hoo, boy we need you to listen!" said Little Cat U hiding in Joe's pocket. He and his mother were shopping for shoes in town the day after the Little Cats were left behind at his house.

Joe couldn't hear Little Cat U, not because he was small, but because he was humming to himself. "_Oh, the thinks you can think_

_Oh, the thinks you can think_

_If you're willing to try,_

_Think invisible ink,_

_Or a gink with a stink,_

_Or a stair to the sky,_

_If you open your mind,_

_Oh, the thinks you will find_

_Lining up to get lo-"_

"Boy! Please, I'll go down on my knees if I have to! Shut your yapping and listen to me!"

"I'm not yapping!" Joe said to the Little Cat.

"Sweetheart," his mother asked, "who are you talking to?"

"It's the Little Cats mom they think I'm yapping!"

Joe's mother shook her head at him. She had lost interest in this game he was playing about little cats in hats. In no time at all they arrived at the bank to get money. "Now Joe, don't talk to any strangers or leave this spot okay?" When Joe didn't answer and just fiddled with his hands some more she spoke up. "Joe please listen!"

"I am listening!" Joe said snapping at his mother. She sighed and walked into the bank. When she wasn't looking he pulled the Little Cats out of his pocket. "Now what do you want?"

"I know you're young and from what we can see not the brightest of boys we've visited but you simply must find our home."

Then Joe, Slow Joe at that, brought up a very good point. "Where is your home?"

Little Cat U stared at him for a second or two then slunk his hat over his face to talk with his fellow small cats. He came back out. "Um…we don't know. We only leave the Cat in the Hat's house when he takes us out."

"Well then I don't know where it is!"

"You don't know where what is?" asked a voice from behind. Joe turned around and saw an old man dressed in only a bag sitting on the street curb. He had no hair atop his head, just a giant beard trailing down from the bottom. "You seem to be having a lot of troubles son. So you need to go to Solla Sollew."

Joe knew never to talk to strangers, especially strangers only wearing bags. But all of the sudden Little Cat Z's voice rang out from his pocket. "Solla Sollew? Solla Sollew! Boys don't you hear that? Oh we'll beat the cat to getting there if we can!"

"Getting there?"

"Go boy! Talk to that man right there. He knows something."

So Joe did as the Little Cat said and went up to the strange man sitting on the curb. After the man asked who he was talking to and laughed at his explanation, he told him about Solla Sallew.

"Some call it heaven, I wouldn't know though. I've never been there. But I do know that if there's anywhere to escape troubles it is Solla Sollew."

"How do I get there?"

"Oh you can't find Solla Sollew, lad. No body can. If they did then your troubles would be likely to follow."

"I need to go there sir! Please! I can't wait for the Cat in the Hat to return. It'll be months, maybe years before he comes back!"

The old man, not knowing about any cats in hats, gave the best explanation he could. "My grandfather told me rhyme about Solla Sallew. It went:

If you hike fifty-five miles past your hometown,

Dressed only in your favorite, most comfy night-gown,

And you leave at exactly half past two,

You might find yourself at the banks of river Wa-hoo,

And that will be the way to Solla Sollew,

Where they never have troubles at least very few."

"Joe!"

Joe's mother came rushing to the scene and pulled Joe aside. She said nothing to the man who left him alone. "What did I tell you? What did I say? Don't talk to strangers and don't leave my sight!"

"But mom-"

"No, we're going home now!"

Joe didn't get the rest of the information or any new shoes that day.

* * *

"I hate you!" Joe yelled knocking down a wooden chair. "You don't understand anything!"

"Joe, stop it or I'll send you to your room!"

"No! I gotta know about that place he was talking about."

"Joe it's not real!" his mother said. "Nothing like Solla Sollew is real. There is no Cat in the Hat and you need to stop hiding in your imagination!"

"No!" Joe screamed with the reddest of red faces. Then he stood up on the table. "You're lying! I have the Little Cats here in my pocket right now!"

His mother stopped her yelling and walked up to Joe. Her face was bright red, but she stood there direct and calm as ever. "Can I see them?" she said putting out her hand.

"No! They're shy!" Joe said getting down from the table and backing away down the hall.

"Joe let me see what you have in your pocket!"

"No!"

"Joe!"

But Joe was already running down the hall to his room where he slammed the door on his mother's hand trying to shut her away. She screamed in pain.

"That hurt! Joe, oh…I need to put some ice on this now!"

Joe was a brat of a child but all brats know that there is a point where you need to stop. All of them stop when they realize they've hurt their mother. "Mommy I'm sorry."

"No! You stay in there and you don't come out! I need to be away from you now."

Joe sat at the foot of his bed first whimpering, then sniffling, then crying as loud as he could. His mother ignored it and only yelled at him to make him be quiet. He was acting like a baby. Little Cat U crawled out of Joe's pocket and the rest of the Little Cats assembled behind him. They looked scared of Joe for some reason.

"You are one upset boy," said Little Cat V. "That was not a good thing to say to your mother."

Joe didn't answer, he just continued to cry until Little Cat Z spoke up. "Honestly I think we know how to get to Solla Sallew from the small bit of info we got from that man on the street. I'd just forgotten with everything else going on. But it's going to be hard to leave town with our size. Wake up no later than midnight boy."

Joe stopped crying. He was confused. They wanted him to come along? "When's midnight?"

"Ugggh!" groaned Little Cat W. "Why couldn't we be stuck with one of those smart kids? He can't even tell time properly!"

Little Cat U shook his head in agitation. "Why don't you just go to sleep and we wake you up at midnight?"

"Okay…" Joe said reaching for his pajamas.

"Oh no, no, no, no! Remember, you have to wear a nightgown when you go out," said Little Cat W.

"But I don't have a nightgown. Besides, I think my pajamas have pockets in the sides."

"I'm sure it'll work Little Cat U," said Little Cat V.

"Fine, but if something goes wrong don't blame me."

* * *

Joe went to sleep, which always a good thing after a long cry. He was woken at about Twelve-O-four at midnight when Little Cat U tickled his ear with a feather.

"C'mon! It'll be two in the morning soon. Your mother's asleep, there's no other way to sneak past her."

Little Joe didn't know how to unlock the door without waking his sleeping mother. He went out back and escaped through the door in the shed. He never really left his neighborhood alone so you can imagine how scary it was to not know where you are at night. Things looked familiar but he still wasn't sure just where he was going. However he kept his head high, and with all the Little Cats in his pocket, he marched over the hills. No one seemed to see him or care.

By one in the morning they were out of town and heading over the hill in Joe's favorite matching pajamas. He was still scared. He never really feared the city at night, but he was terribly afraid of the woods.

"Do you live in Solla Sallew?" he asked Little Cat U.

"Oh yes we do! It's one of our usual homes."

"Do you have multiple houses or something?"

"No it's that the Cat's house is…you'll see when we get there. Keep your eyes peeled for dangerous thinks boy. It's time for us to snooze."

Then Little Cat U ducked back into the pocket and it became silent.

Joe looked straight ahead, past the woods, beyond the prairies, straight down to the sea and beyond. Was it half past two yet? He wasn't sure. Oh well, it was so late if he kept walking he'd probably find it by morning.

Joe had never been on a journey before. He couldn't help but wonder what he might end up seeing. Maybe a Goo-goose who loves to chew blue goo, he heard they were funny. Or maybe a sort-of-a-hen with its big feathers? Or maybe an elephant cat with its enormous form?

Why, just as Joe hiked down the very mountain he could see some thinks already. Crandles, little thinks in blue sleepers balancing giant candles atop their heads as they sleepwalk over the hills. They looked so happy as they left behind a trail of dripping hot wax. They were such a strange bunch of thinks.

How could anyone sleepwalk…

…like…

that…

….anyhow…


	3. The Beaches

_**-Splash- **_

Joe woke up when he fell into a big body of water and swam to the surface. As he caught his breath he took a quick look at his surroundings. He was in wading in a vast, green ocean. The water was stiff and gluey between his fingers. Just a few feet in front of him was a sandy shore and beyond that a couple of mountains that he never saw before in his life.

He swam to the shore and collapsed on the sand. He wasn't that great a swimmer, being only five. Before he could truly relax he felt something nip his ear.

"You wretched child, what made you think that was a good idea?" asked Little Cat U.

"I'm sorry," Joe said, "really I am. I fell into the water."

"You could have drowned us!" yelled Little Cat V throwing his tiny hat on the ground.

"Oh my, you're all okay aren't you?"

"Yes," said Little Cat Z's voice, "but it's still a risk. I can't swim at all, if I wash away it's useless trying to find me."

Joe looked away from the tiny cats and back up at the beach in front of him. "Is this Solla Sollew?"

"No, but we are close by. We should see what Little Cat Z has to say now."

"But I can't see Little Cat Z!"

"Then we'll have to make you see me," said Little Cat Z. "Hold on boy I think I might got something that could work." The other Little Cats all huddled around Little Cat Z patiently. He shooed them away and standing where he should be was a very tiny but very bright blue light.

"I should have done this awhile ago. Here it is, you can see my flashlight can't you?"

"Yes," said Joe. He put his hand on the ground so that the glowing light could jump onto his palm. He didn't trust himself when it came to picking him up.

"Now let's make off before it gets dark."

Joe carried the small light across the beach being told just where to go. It was hard since Joe was too distracted with his beach watching to listen to directions. He'd never been on a beach without his mommy. It was a vast brown looking beach with charcoal just about everywhere sand wasn't. Charcoal and trash from parties it looked like.

Just about noon, a quarter to one in fact, was Joe hit in the head of the with a ball. He started to fall over when he held out his hand and stopped himself from falling.

"Are you okay Little Cats?" he asked, to worried to see if Little Cat Z was still in his hand and the others in his pocket. The Little Cats stared at the ocean a few inches in front of them.

"Yes, well, I think we are. Thank you for being alert boy," said Little Cat Z.

Joe stood up and looked for the ball that made him fall over. He found it in no time. It was a volleyball like you should find on any old beach. He turned around and saw four thinks standing before him.

"Oh my," said one of them in a female voice. "We are so sorry, we didn't see you walk by."

The creatures looked like birds because they had big beak-like noses. They had beady little eyes and feathery fingers. Two of the four creatures had one green star in the center of their round bellies. The other two were different. One of them had no stars on his belly and the other had three stars on his.

"Um…" Joe said never seeing thinks like them before.

"Sneetches! Hello there!" said Little Cat Z's voice.

"Is that you Little Cat Z?" asked the one plain-bellied sneetch. His plain-belly didn't stand out that much. This think was wearing a green cap and a salmon scarf and gloves. "What are you doing here on our beach?"

"My friends and I, that being Little Cat's Y, X, W, V, and U, were unfortunately separated from our hat. This boy has promised to get us back to him," Little Cat Z said with the larger Little Cats in Joe's pocket.

"You know them?" asked Joe.

"Oh yes," said Little Cat X. "That is Breetch Sneetch, Leech Sneetch, Peach Sneech and the friendly sneetchum standing before you is Fleesh Sneetch."

"Charmed.

Pleasured.

Quite.

Hi!" each sneetch said.

"We're heading to Solla Sollew," said Joe.

"You are in luck!" said Fleesh Sneetch. "The river Wa-hoo is a mile and a half away."

"Mile?" asked Joe painfully. A mile might as well been thirteen states for him. He was never the walking type.

"It won't be that long if you pace yourself. You'll know you're close once you see the flowers of the river Wa-hoo," said Leech Sneetch, the three-starred belly.

Joe never heard of any towering flowers but he was sure eager to see what they looked like he started heading for the beach trail without even thanking the thinks.

"Wait one moment," said the Fleesh sneetch. "Where is your ride little cats and boy?"

"I am the ride, and my name is Joe Lesieg."

The sneetches looked at Joe with wide eyes of remorse. "How long has it been since you've eaten?"

Joe's tummy rumbled. The Little Cats all stirred inside his pocket urging him not to be tempted. It was hopeless. "…awhile…"

* * *

The four sneetches sat little Joe down in one of their frankfurter roast circles and treated him to a delicious breakfast of sausage. At this point, the rest of the sneetches were coming out. All of them had one or more stars on their bellies or none at all.

"Frankfurter is a delicacy here on the beaches. We eat them whenever we can."

Joe, whose favorite food happened to be sausage, was in no position to complain. "All the time? Wow, I wish I had hotdogs all the time."

"Hotdog?" asked Breech sneetch.

"Wahoo! Did you hear that cats we're eating a dog!" said Little Cat W to the other little cats.

"Well these are hotdogs right?" asked Joe, not knowing how to say frankfurter.

"Um…no…I think they're made from pigs but if you like we find some made from real dogs," said Peach Sneetch.

"No that's okay. Can I take some of these with me. It might be awhile till I can get there to the tower-flower place."

Fleesh sneetch smiled a warm, compassionate smile. "Why of course you can!" He helped Joe cut the meat into bits and stuffed them neatly in his free pajama pocket careful of course not to get his gloves dirty.

Before he and the Little Cats started up the trail, Breech and Fleesh informed him of what to do once they got to the river.

"The city gates are always locked so you can't go in through the bridge. Try finding a way across before you come to the entrance."

"There are thousands of towering flowers around Solla Sollew. Couldn't they make a nice raft?" asked Little Cat V.

"That's not good for the flowers," Leech sneetch informed them. Before the Little Cats could ask why they were so concerned with nature, Joe ran up the beach road. "Thank you so much sneetches!" he said before disappearing over the sandy dunes.

* * *

The rest of that day was long and tiresome. There was nothing but sand and grass for miles. Joe had eaten his left over frankfurters not long into his trek and it turned out that they didn't taste so good after being in his pocket. He could see no flowers or rivers for miles. He could see nothing but hills and mountains. In no time at all the sun was setting.

"Cheer up boy," said Little Cat Z flicking on his flashlight. "This light will last for hours so you won't need to wander in the dark."

Joe barely said anything, both to himself or the Little Cats. He was looking at the sky. So many colors. Colors he never knew were even part of the sky, like red and indigo. The Little Cats were not fazed by their surroundings though they started to rush him past one strange looking mountain that curved like a sickle.

Though the hills were the best places to look back at a setting sun, Joe still couldn't see a river beyond them.

"Are you sure you know where to go?" Joe asked the Little Cats.

"Trust me, we've had day trips out here with the Cat and the Things before. It's much longer on foot. If we were in a car, chances are we'd be there by now."

Just as the sun was about to go down did Joe and the Little Cats see a strange object in the distance.

"What is that?" asked Joe when he got closer.

The Little Cats all hopped out of Joe's pocket to see for themselves and cheered. Little Cat Z waved his flashlight about in merry. "The flowers! The towering flowers, at last! Why somewhere around here is the river Wa-hoo, and that will then lead us to Solla Sollew."

And boy was it true. Just a couple steps away did they all hear water and were there before the glorious river Wa-hoo.

"Tear off a petal from one of those flowers boy, we got to get started on the raft!"

"I thought the sneetches back at the beach told us not to do that."

"It's only one flower, who cares if we take a petal? Come on there's no time to waste."

Joe went to the side of the towering flower and tore at the strange, disk-like petals. He pulled, and he pulled, and he pulled until finally it snapped off. They filled the holes of their raft with the sap of the towering flower and it caked in perfectly. By the time they finished Joe was very tired. He had walked more then he ever thought he could walk in his life. Just as he got himself on the raft did Little Cat's U, V, and Y say: "You should go to sleep."

"But we're almost there aren't we?"

"We are but you've been doing the walking all day," said Little Cat V. "We'll steer the raft while you snooze."

"But I thought you were to tiny to do that."

"We aren't!" said the miniscule voice of Little Cat Y who had to speak into Joe's ear for him to hear. "We can't travel so far or so quickly as you, but we still are cats in hats. We have lots of ways with things like this."

Coaxed by the rest of the Little Cats into getting a well-deserved sleep, Joe curled up on the soft floor of the tower-flower-raft and closed his eyes. The Little Cats sat in front of him, alert and at the ready. At peace with this and the beautiful river he had as a nursery, he closed his eyes and went to sleep.


	4. Solla Sollew

"Up, up, up!" said an enthusiastic tiny voice. Joe was lucky the Little Cats were there or he would have likely rolled off the raft in his sleep. Little Cat Y seemed unusually pleasant today. Though he couldn't really tell he seemed as though he was smiling at Joe.

"Where are we?"

"See for yourself."

Joe turned around and his jaw hung low. In front of him was a wall of buildings, each a different color and shape. He'd never seen buildings like these before. They were towers and castles and temples and garages of warped size and frame. And the thinks sticking their heads out of those buildings? Why he'd never seen anything like them either. Some were covered in hair or feathers, some had big feet and long necks, and some had noses like bird beaks just like the sneetches yesterday. If Joe were one of them, he'd be marveling at the way he looked. Or at the very least notice the curious cracks in their architecture. They must have been very old buildings.

"Come on, let's find a way in," said Little Cat U.

"Can't we just go in through the-"

"Entrance?" Little Cat U said finishing Joe's sentence, "oh no one goes in through the entrance anymore. The gatekeeper left some time ago because a slippard moved into his lock. He left and now there's no way into Solla Sollew."

"No way in? But how-"

The tiny cat snapped his head around. He stared at Joe impatiantly. "No way in…unless you're a cat! In which case you can enter a city no trouble at all."

"And here is our no troubles!" said Little Cat Z's voice. Their raft floated next to the dock and the largest cats all hopped off.

"Now grab that rope," said Z. The others tried to lift a very thick rope laying against the wall. Joe took the rope away from the peanut-sized cats and was instructed on how to tie their raft to the dock. During which only Little Cat Z spoke, yawning as he did so.

"Are you sleepy?" asked Joe.

"Just a tad…"

Once their raft was secured Joe jumped onto the deck with the other Little Cats in his hand. He looked around but the dense walls of the town had no doors or windows that he could reach. Even the biggest cracks were to narrow for him to squeeze in. "How did you say we were gonna get in?"

"Little Cat U, take off your hat. It's the biggest after all," said Little Cat Z proudly.

Joe held Little Cat U up to the wall. There the tiny feline stuck his hat facedown against the brick. In a matter of seconds a hole was made in the wall just big enough for each of the Little Cats to walk through to the other side.

"But…I can't fit in there," Joe was quick to point out.

"Silly talk. Simply try and you will. It's not hard at all."

"I can't get in!"

"Try, try, try! Listen to us! Listen to us!" the small cats chanted.

Joe looked at the small hole and took a deep breath. He came this far didn't he? Surely, it couldn't be stranger if he actually made it through. Joe closed his eyes knowing he was going to hit his head against solid brick. He did, but it wasn't a wall of brick. He put his hand down to feel for the hole and felt it curve around him. He opened his eyes and found not a hole but a tunnel large enough for a boy like him to crawl through. Amazed Joe did just that, crawling to the light at the end of the tunnel with the Little Cats at his side. Once he stepped foot in the beautiful sunlight, his jaw hung even wider then before. He only went back inside to get the Little Cats and put them back in his pocket. There were more thinks huzzing and buzzing about the beautiful town.

A woman with floppy dog ears hung out her laundry to dry above him. Two beetle children shot stones from their popgun noses. A big think with boxing gloves jogged across the street in a pair of exercise pants.

After he passed Joe realized the Little Cats hadn't talked since before he entered the hole. He looked in his pocket and found a drowsy Little Cat U inside. Using his hat as a sleeping bag was Little Cat V and Joe could only assume the rest were doing the same.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Hm? Oh it's just that…well…we were up all night steering that boat and…it's a bit harder then we thought," Little Cat U yawned.

Joe thought; wouldn't it be an amazing fleet if a five year old, especially a five year old like Joe was able to find the Cat in the Hat's house all on his own? Why, then he'd be able to show the Little Cats just how smart he really was.

"You sleep then. I got everything under control."

Little Cat U fell over. "No, no, no, no…you don't know Solla Sollew…"

Joe smiled as the cat dozed off. "Yes I do!"

* * *

Of course Joe couldn't pass up the opportunity to explore before he went searching. He loved Solla Sollew. It truly was the most beautiful place he had ever been before. So many thinks! Every time you're sure you can't see enough thinks, there's another think right next to you.

There were so many thinks that he began to go up to random objects on the street to see if there was some think living on, in, or next to them.

He walked by a restaurant and there was a zable under a table. He went to the bus stop and there a ghair under the chair. He stopped by the house of a couple called the "Vinreps" and surprised a poor Yeps sitting on their steps.

None of the citizens payed much attention to Joe being there. It's not like they hadn't seen a boy before after all. Seeing Joe walk down the street was the exact same reaction a person has when they see a child walk alone on the street. That was of course, "where on earth is that child's parents?"

Joe was chasing the zeet across the street when he stopped by an entrance that read "Solla Sollew Park".

"A park? I love parks!"

It was a beautiful place with a lovely pond and fresh green grass. He never had that big a home or backyard to run around in so any park was heaven for him. He went right to the pond and started splashing his feet in the crystal clear water.

Suddenly two birds came up to him. One of them looked like a wiener-dog with a duck's face and feet, the other was a white goose. It was a swamy swan and a duck dog. Joe watched them swim closer to him until finally the swamy swan honked. It and the duck dog waddled onto land and open their beaks expectantly at Joe.

"Sorry," Joe said, "I don't have any food on me."

Then Joe thought for a second. He really didn't have any food on him. He ate the frankfurters from the sneetch's beach and that was yesterday morning. He had slacked off for so long that it took until now for Joe to even realize how hungry he was.

He decided it was best to find the Cat soon. He probably had something to eat at his house.

Joe wondered if the Cat actually lived by the park. That would make sense. It was a great place to play. But the park was so big he'd be searching all day for him. After he was done circling the park border he knew he wasn't getting anywhere. The Little Cats were right, he didn't know his way around Solla Sollew.

* * *

Joe thought about leaving the park but it wasn't easy. He felt more comfortable in a place like the park then on the streets, even if there wasn't any food in sight. Soon he built up the courage and walked out the entrance.

"Oooooh!" larked a strange melody. Joe accidentally bumped into a strange thing with yellow fur and a big snout. He snuffed at him and pulled out a long roll of sheet music.

"You, boy, have bumped meee~" he sang operatically. "What do you have to say young man?"

"Um…sorry…I'll avoid you if I can."

"Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no~"

The thing said not permitting Joe to go.

"For punishment of disrupting a thing,

You must sit here and listen to it sing,

I will sing all day,

I will sing all night,

And you might try and kick and bite,

But you will listen to my song,

Even if you stay here a whole day long!"

"Nooo!" screamed Joe not wanting to hear another awful tune from the thing's mouth. "I don't want to listen to you!"

"To bad,

Behave before you waste up any more patience I had!"

"Help," said Joe kicking his feet at the bystanders, "please help me! I'll do anything just get me away from him!"

Then the think began to read from his sheet music and sing:

"Hungry, Hungry, I am Hungry,

Table, table, here I come,

I could eat a goose-moose burger,

Fifteen pickles and a purple plum!"

Joe's tummy grumbled at the sheer thought of food. "Stoooooop! Please, oh please! Anyone help!"

"Help you say?" asked new voice. Above Joe and the think that wouldn't stop singing was a fox in blue socks lying on his back. He had a very large, happy smile. "I can help you."

"Then do! Please sir, please oh, please oh, please do!"

The fox hopped off the limb of the tree and met the young boy on the ground still stuck in the Think's grasp. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Fox in Socks. Now do you really want to get out of here?"

"I could eat three tubs of galosh,

Half a pound of wuzzle-wheat,

I could eat a peck of peppers,

Then I'd really get to work and eat," the think sang, this time clutching Joe's pant pocket where he kept the little cats.

"Yes! Get me outta here, for the Little Cat's sake!"

"Cat in the Hat I see? Alright, repeat this three times fast," said the Fox in Socks. Then he spoke in a very, very fast pace: "Cat in the hat get's sat on a tat-rat,

Rat-tat sats on the hat cat,

Hat cat gets back at the rat-tat,

So he sats on the rat-tat's hat."

Joe blinked. "What?"

"Cat in the hat gets sat on a tat-rat,

Rat-tat sats on the hat cat,

Hat cat gets back at the rat-tat,

So he sats on the rat-tat's hat."

"C-can you say that a bit slower sir?"

"Slower? No, no, no, no, that ruins the whole game. Now, try and say it son. Cat in the hat get's sat on a tat-rat,

Rat-tat sats on the hat cat,

Hat cat gets back at the rat-tat,

So he sats on the rat-tat's hat."

Joe had to think very fast to say something that fast but it was hard with the Think singing over his thoughts.

"Um…Cat in hat…um…rat-tat-tat..sat…"

"Deep-dish, rhubarb, upside down cake,

I could eat a fritter flum,"

"I'm sorry," said the Fox, "please speak up."

"Hungry, hungry, I am starving~

Table, table, table, table, here I come!"

Flustered by the situation poor Joe finally snapped. He spat out the words as best he could: "Cat in hat get sat on tat-rat!

Rat-ta ta sats on a hat cat!

Hat cat can't get faster then rat-tat!

So he sats on the rat-tat's hat!"

The thing let go instantly. "You could have just said if you didn't want to hear me sing," it said walking away in insult.

Joe sat on the sidewalk shaking with fear. The Fox, presumably used to these situations, pulled a handkerchief out of his sock and wiped the sweat off Joe's head. He smiled at him with big, proud eyes. "You're a wonderful talker you are. You should look into talking. It suits you."

"Thank you," Joe said finally breathing normally. The fox was an instance of kindness he never knew before. One who's friendship you had to earn but was still nice along the way. Joe watched as the fox jumped up the wall and back into the park, proud that he could impress a grown up. At least…a grown fox. Just as his tail was disappearing did Joe realize what he was doing before he showed up.

"Mr. Fox! Wait, could you tell me where the Cat in the Hat lives? Please?"

There was no answer.


	5. Green Eggs and Ham

Not long after talking with the Fox in Socks did it become dark. The swammy swam from before flew overhead. He watched it fly across the orange sky, changing from a shape to a shadow to a speck and then to nothing. The smell from the towering-flowers boarding the town filled the cool summer air. All the citizens he saw before were sticking their heads back into their homes and leaving the streets.

By now Joe was wondering if the Little Cats were tired or just being lazy. They hadn't woken up or said anything since they dozed off. And that was in the morning! He thought at about six o'clock that he should at least wake Little Cat U. He didn't want to look for the Cat in the Hat's house in the middle of the night after all.

"Hello," said a voice. Joe turned around and saw to yellow dog thinks standing behind him and holding ice cream.

The taller one smiled at him. "I've never seen you before. Whatcha got there?"

Joe didn't say anything. He was always like this around other kids. He didn't know if they wanted to play with him or make him go away.

"I'm Ichabod," said the tall one.

"I'm Izzy," said the small one. "Can you not talk?"

Joe murmured something under his breath. When they asked him to speak up he spat it out. "I'm not from Solla Sollew!"

"Oh. Well if you wanna make friends everyone here is nice," Ichabod said.

"Um…"

"So what do you have there in your pocket?" asked Ichabod. "A toy?"

A moment of realization occurred to Joe and decided to ask the two for help. Chances are they knew the town better then he did. "No. I have a problem."

"What kind of problem?" asked Izzy.

"I'm looking for someone. Do you know-"

"Hey you! Where have you been?" said Ichapod waving at something behind Joe. He would have been angry with Ichabod, it always got him bothered when others didn't listen. Before he could tell them off, Joe looked behind him at the person they were calling to.

Coming up the hill was a pair of pale green pants. Just the pants, walking on their own, no one inside them! Ichabod and Izzy seemed to know the pants that happily came up and shook Ichapod's free hand. It spoke, in pants talk that is, to the children.

"Just on a walk," said Ichabod in reply. "Do you know this kid? He's called Joe."

"Hey," Izzy said, "where are you going?"

"Aaaaugh!" cried Joe running down the hill in fear.

Walking pants? Walking pants?! Why pants? Why were they walking? Who was wearing them? It was the strangest, scariest thing poor Joe had seen yet. He couldn't take it.

The children and the pants called out to him. "Come back, come back! These pants are nice! We promise you!"

Joe kept running.

He ran down the hill.

He ran across the lawn.

He ran pass the pond.

He ran out of the entrance.

He ran into someone.

He fell on his back hard against the street. "Oh no! It's broken! Anything that hurts must be broken," he thought.

Now those pants were sure to come and get him. Joe lay there about to cry, he was so hurt and scared. He didn't even see whom he had bumped into.

"Are you alright?" asked a hand that reached down for him. Joe took the hand and was slowly pulled back to his feet. It turned out that his back wasn't broken at all. Wasn't that sheer luck? The think that stood in front of him had yellow fur. It had big eyes and wore a red cap. He was a short person, scarcely taller then Joe or the children before. "Are you alright?" he asked again. "The streets so hard you might have cracked your head on it! Believe me, that's not what you want."

"I…I'm scared…" Joe said tearing up. "I…I want my mommy!" Yes, as embarrassing as it was, he did want his mommy. He didn't want to be in Solla Sollew anymore. He wanted to be home, where he belonged.

The think frowned. "Now, now, don't cry. Do you know where you live?"

Joe shook his head.

"You don't? Well, do you want to find it?"

He shook his head again.

"You don't want to find your home? Your mother should be there."

"She isn't anywhere…"

"Anywhere?"

Joe held back his tears for one second. "I-I don't live I-in Solla Sollew!"

"You don't? Well what are you doing here then?"

"I'm looking for someone. They lost something."

The think looked around. There was no one around who knew this child. Solla Sollew had plenty of unpleasant thinks at night. Especially that one thing that made people listen to him sing for hours on end if you bump into him.

"You know, I live in a motel with plenty of rooms that never get used. I'm sure you can have one. You can look for your missing someone some other time."

Joe knew better then to go anywhere with strangers, but somehow this strange, simple think that sounded like an adult but looked like a child didn't give off any signs of suspicion. "Okay," he said.

The think opened the door to his blue buggy behind them and helped Joe get in. "I am Sam. Sam-I-Am. You?"

"Slow Joe Lesieg…" Joe said trailing off because he couldn't pronounce his last name as well as Sam.

"Nice name. To me there's nothing better in this world then your name. It's the only name you'll ever have," Sam said. He buckled Joe in and spent the rest of the drive talking about names.

* * *

"And then there's Georgia, that's a good name. As is Folsa-fall-fiea, I had a friend named that. I always liked those short names though. Or at least, short names that were longer if you put more names on them. The best name I ever heard was a name that started with H's. Hall-Harve-Hans-H-Hoov-Heffer-Hing. Or, was is it Harve-Hing-Hans-Hoove-Hall-H-Heffer? Or maybe it was-"

"Is this it?" asked Joe who's mind was buzzing with letter Hs.

"Oh, thank you," Sam said parking the car on the street. It was a short building, about as tall as Joe's house. It was much longer though, full of rows and rows of different doors and windows.

"It looks like a hotel!" said Joe.

Sam laughed. "Motels are like hotels. They just aren't as big."

Sam walked pass the windows with little Joe following intently. He looked inside. No one.

"How come no one lives in your motel?"

"They do, just every once in awhile. And when they do they owe us the payment."

"Us?"

"Yes, me and Gus."

"So you own the motel?"

"No but if we didn't charge our guests how on earth would we be able to pay to live here?" Severely confused, Joe thought that asking anymore questions would make it harder to understand. So he didn't.

Sam opened a door at the very end of the building. It was a good thing he didn't ask any more questions. The room was far bigger on the inside on the outside, twice as taller, and three times as wide.

"There should be a free room for you here. You'll just have to cut through ours."

Joe didn't understand if it was just a "room" or if, whatever a motel was, this was even it. He could see plenty of hallways, nothing like an apartment or hotel room. It was just like the streets of Solla Sollew, everywhere you went lead you somewhere else. Joe noticed when the walked down one hallway that there was plaster and wire coming out of the ceiling. It looked like his house when they were installing a new sink.

When they passed through that hall and into another Joe saw another think already there.

"Hello Gus. I'll be right there, I just need to get this boy a room," Sam said. The think reminded Joe of a golden retriever. He had floppy ears, a very soft looking coat, and was taller then he and Sam. He was sitting in a chair reading from a newspaper when he looked in Joe's direction.

"Sam," he said, "what did I say last time?"

"Not to take the flags off other people's mailboxes. Didn't I tell you I stopped that?"

"Not that! You can't bring tenants to their rooms through our houses," Gus said, putting down his paper.

"But Gus, it's the best room," said Sam.

"Exactly. How is he going to pay for it? It's an expensive stay."

Joe was terrible at money, and knew he couldn't possibly pay for anything. "But sir-"

"Go get your parents. Let them talk it out with us."

Sam stopped Joe from speaking up. "This boy doesn't live in Solla Sollew. He has no home and his parents aren't here. Please?"

Gus looked at Joe who was now hiding behind Sam. "If that's the case then fine. He can stay. One night though. Then he goes away and doesn't come back."

Sam took Joe by the shoulder. "I hope you find your someone tomorrow. It's true. You have to pay at some point if you want to stay longer."

"It's okay. I bet I will find the Cat in the Hat by tomorrow."

"Cat in the Hat?" both Gus and Sam asked, perplexed.

Joe didn't understand. "Do you know him?"

"Everybody does," said Sam-I-Am, "he's a mighty fine helper to us in Solla Sollew."

"Where do I find him?"

"You don't find him, he finds you," said Gus. "His house travels everywhere it wants. One week it might be in Nool, next week Whoville, next week Truffula County, next Whipper of Whip, then next week is here."

"Do you know when he'll come by next?"

"Two days, four days, five weeks, maybe seven months even," Sam said in a tone oblivious to Joe's fear or panic.

"B-but I can't wait seven months!" he yelled. "And the Little Cats can't either!"

"Little Cats?" asked Gus putting down his paper and this time standing up.

"Yeah! Little Cats U, V, W, X, Y, and Z." At that very second Joe took out Little Cat U and shoved him in Sam's face. Having just woken up Little Cat U was terrified. He screamed, as did the other Little Cats inside his hat. He bit Joe on his thumb and ran down his shirt and back into his pocket.

"Little Cat U!" Joe said. What did he do wrong? He looked back up at the thinks that looked as though they had just seen a ghost.

* * *

Joe was shown a room with two beds, one that looked like a real hotel room from his memory.

"Unpack what you have. You might not need to pay after all. Trust us," said Sam, leaving the room.

With barely anything to unpack, Joe found a drawer next to the bed. He gradually took Little Cat U out of his pocket. Joe tried to apologize, offer him a nice cushion to sleep on even. The tiny cat refused to even look at him. He didn't say anything about biting his finger.

"You tell Sam back there that we won't be staying long," Little Cat U said. "Say it straight from Little Cat Z's mouth. We know the Cat will be here sooner then they say."

Then Little Cat U jumped onto the mantel and took off his hat. "Assemble, everyone."

Joe, only fazed by how his apology was blown off, stood up and walked out of the room. As he closed the door behind him there was the most delicious smell a hungry person could think of. It was a wonderful smell, sort of like the frankfurters the sneetches served him a few nights ago. If not frankfurters, certainly some kind of meat. "Mmmmm! What is that?"

He followed the smell around the bend and back to where he was before, the hallway. Two silhouettes could be seen on the wall.

"Typical Cat," Gus's voice said. "You can't trust him with anything important. Really, Sam, can you imagine either of us handling that type of force so carelessly? He's not a cat, he's a kitten!"

Joe listened to what Gus was saying before walking any closer. He would have thought Gus rude if Sam hadn't said anything.

"I wonder if he knows what he put this boy through," Sam said, "I feel sorry for Joe. He reminds me of me. And I wouldn't want that type of responsibility at his age."

Gus's shadow patted its forehead. "Look at our house Sam. If something goes wrong because of that cat we won't be able to keep it up."

There was _that_ kind of silence all the sudden. Silence amongst a delicious smell and a confused guest. Sam-I-Am's shadow hopped onto the table and stroked Gus's shoulder.

"That won't happen," he said, "the Glunk is locked away so don't fret. I know our home isn't that strong but I bet that it will make it through what ever is thrown our way."

The big shadow looked up at the small one. "Whatever you say."

The way Sam spoke to him and made Gus calm down reminded him of his mother. She did that a lot. Whenever he was scared, his mother told him something positive, and it all got better. Well, for a while anyway.

He was touched, but then Joe remembered the truly important thing he came to find: Food.

"Hello Joe!" said Sam as Joe walked around the bend. "Is something wrong?"

"…no…I'm just hungry I gue-"

"Hungry? Well sit yourself down!" said Sam taking Joe by the arm and throwing him into a chair. He was in their kitchen. The walls were covered in plaster and wire here too. Sam hopped over to a stove where he was preparing something in a frying pan. Gus sat across from Joe, watching the boy with a judgmental look.

"So where do you come from?" he asked.

Joe shuddered. "Um…I don't know."

"You don't know where you come from?" Gus said in disbelief. "Oh please, what's the name of your town? Your country? Your house? Your street? You must know something about where you live."

Joe had forgotten. All he knew was that his town was where his family and school were. He never thought the name was that important. He decided to not answer the question and asked something else.

"I-I heard you were scared about your house?"

"Who told you that?"

"No one. But, see, you don't have to worry. The Little Cats know where the Cat is."

"They do?" asked Gus.

"Yes, well, I think better then you. Little Cat Z said he should come around sooner then we think."

"What did I tell you Gus? Nothing to fear. You worry so much. I think something might be wrong in your head," said Sam holding a tray with a big brass cover. "Anyway, dinner is served!"

Gus smacked his lips and folded his napkin into a bib.

"You eat like this a lot?" asked Joe.

"Every Tuesday!" Sam chimed. Then he pulled the lid off the tray and revealed the dish. It was steaming hot cut of ham and three boiled eggs but hat didn't catch Joe's eye about it. What did capture his attention was that it was green. Green eggs and ham! And not an inviting green either. The type of green that looked like the food was rotten, or at the very least, not fit for eating. No matter how good it smelled or how Gus and Sam happily stuffed their mouths with it, Joe didn't feel like eating anymore.

Gus noticed him looking at them and asked what was wrong.

"What's wrong with that ham?" Joe said.

Gus laughed. "It's green. Ham and eggs are best served green don't you know?"

"I didn't know that…"

"Well, eat up!" Sam said. "There's enough for three, I promise you."

Joe pushed his plate away. "No thank you, I'll eat something else."

It grew very quiet like Joe said an offensive word. Gus, again showing some humor, coughed at Joe as if to get his attention. 'Eat it now' was what his eyes were telling him.

Sam picked up the tray and stood on the table. "Would you eat them here?" he said pointing to his feet. "Or there?" he said pointing to the sink.

"Um…nowhere?"

"Would you eat them on my hat?" Sam asked holding the dish carefully on his hat.

"I'm sure I'll get food when I find the Ca-"

"Will you if I was short or tall?" asked Sam getting closer and closer to Joe.

Intimidated, Joe tried to ask another question. "Why is there wire on your wall?" he asked to get the think's mind off green eggs and ham.

Gus was more apt to explain. "A big accident happened. Our motel, it fell in on itself. We just got it fixed and now we're worried it's going to come down again."

"Why is that-"

All of the sudden a spoonful of green egg was flung into poor Joe's mouth.

"There we go!" Sam said. "Getting better at it aren't I Gus?"

"Certainly," Gus said chuckling alongside his small friend. "Well boy what do you think?"

Disgusted but admittedly still hungry, Joe slowly chewed the green eggs. It tasted good! Of all things he never expected to like, it was eggs that were green. He actually ate a lot of strange things at home but never one of this caliber. "Yeah! I do like it. It tastes like egg but…. a bit different."

Sam smiled loading slices of ham and egg on eager Joe's plate. "Sometimes things aren't what they seem," he said.


	6. The Glunk

Gus pushed Joe aside in the morning so that he and Sam may have a talk up-front with the Little Cats about their stay. Joe would have listened to their talk but they made sure he was preoccupied in one of their many different rooms, eating a helping of green eggs and ham leftovers for breakfast. He wondered what on earth they were talking about and if it concerned him in any way. Maybe it was just the eggs that got his brain overworking.

Then the pair came up to Joe sitting on a stool. "Now then, we've talked things out with the cats and your stay is settled. Gus and I will leave our doors open if you come back from looking. If you don't come back we know you've found him," Sam said.

"But what if I don't come back for a different reason-"

"-that won't happen!" said Sam passively.

Joe looked at Gus who was holding the Little Cats in his hand. He was speaking with Little Cat U it seemed.

"Well what do you suppose we do if something does go wrong? How do we know you've made it?"

"Because the boy will find you!" said Little Cat U.

Gus looked at Joe. "Him? But he's so-"

"Reliable! He'll come find you after getting the Cat and tell you how everything is going. We promise."

Joe unfortunately didn't get to hear the rest as Sam quickly plopped another batch of eggs down his throat to distract him. It was a good thing eggs were one of Joe's favorite foods. I guess this way he wouldn't be complaining about hunger and they did taste better then frankfurters.

* * *

He left the complex and went to downtown Solla Sollew, far more wary of any ghairs and zeps he found along the way. He didn't want to come across any pale green pants or things that would stop singing again. While he walked Joe talked things over with the Little Cats. He wanted to make it clear that he was sorry for last night.

"Please forgive me cats, don't be mad," he said.

"I said what had to be said boy," said Little Cat U, "you didn't do anything wrong. We just don't want you causing any hysteria in Solla Sollew."

Joe was about to ask what that meant when Little Cat X beat him to it. "If your wondering, hysteria is when people get scared and make things a lot worse then they are."

"That's what it meant?"

"Yes," said Little Cat's Z deep, serious voice, "and it's why we can't cause any. Especially if it includes me or the Cat in the Hat."

"Why?" Joe asked.

Little Cat Z said nothing, only turned on his flashlight from before. With the day being as grey as it was, it was easy to see the sharp, tiny light protruding out of Joe's pocket. He handed the light to Little Cat W who shined it on the street like a laser pointer. "Lead him to a high point where he can see beyond the river Wa-Hoo."

More walking? Surely he walked enough two days ago. Before he could wine about how his feet were sore or how he didn't want any thinks to catch them again the bright light shined in his face.

"Stop!" said the Little Cats. "You should get a clear view."

Joe looked around. They were on top of a hill at the end of the park. Sure he could see over Solla Sollew's walls, but this couldn't possibly be close enough. But before he or the Little Cats said a single anything-

_**Gggluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmm!**_

"What was that?" Joe asked terrified. Then he looked out beyond those buildings in front of him and past the river Wa-Hoo. He saw the big, sickle-looking hill from before. Whatever made that sound had to have come from inside.

"That," said Little Cat U as he crawled onto Joe's shoulder, "was the glunk. About seven years ago there use to be nothing but nice thinks popping up here and there. Pleasant thinks, ones that you greet as you walked down the street. Then one day came the glunk."

"What is a glunk?"

"It's the worse possible thing to ever be thunk!" said Little Cat X. "It's bigger then any think in Solla Sollew. Which is how it did what it did."

Joe got scared. "W-what did it do?"

"What did it do? First it stomped through beaches squishing twenty-nine sneetches! Then it tore through the field of the towering flowers at a pace of five-hundred-and-two-per-hour! Then, if that weren't enough, if it wasn't through, it made it's way right into Solla Sollew! It destroyed buildings, it destroyed houses, it destroyed our pets and our yards and our cars! Not no one in Solla Sollew was safe from that glunk! In fact, if it weren't for the Cat we might never have been safe," Little Cat X explained.

Suddenly it all came together. The cracks in the buildings when Joe first arrived, the plaster that practically made up Sam and Gus's ceiling, they certainly didn't look like they were made from a natural cause.

"How'd the Cat stop it?"

"Sorry Joe but you can't know that much-" Little Cat W said.

"No," boomed Little Cat Z's voice. "This whole time we've been hiding things from this boy. Why is that? He's 'Slow', not dumb. Give me back my flashlight."

Little Cat W, ever faithful to the leader of the Little Cats, handed the light back to him. The tiny light traveled down Joe's sleeve and onto his wrist.

"Can you see me?" he asked waving the light around around.

"I can see the light. I certainly hear you."

Little Cat Z began. "It's very important that you return me. For there is no smaller cat under my hat. Under my hat, there is something much more powerful. I have a VOOM under my hat."

"A VOOM?" Joe asked.

"Yes, a VOOM."

"…what does a VOOM do?"

"Anything you want it to. It fixes windows, stops floods, cleans the sky, and it puts glunks in their place!" Little Cat Z said. "The minute I unleashed my VOOM, the glunk fell asleep. It fell fast asleep. Since no one, not even me could think it away they had to put it away and we're on our guard for the day that it wakes again. Then I'll have to use another VOOM."

Joe held the tiny bright light in his hands. How could anything so small have so much power in it? Little Cat Z was so small you couldn't even see him! And he was that powerful? It boggled the mind.

"I can unleash my VOOM but oh will the citizens of Solla Sollew be mad at the Cat if I do."

"Why? You'd save them."

"Yes, but he also lost track of me and my VOOM. They know we're strong and that's why they don't trust him with us. For if I unleashed a VOOM without the Cat in the Hat knowing, they'd probably take us away from him."

"Or they'd kick us out of Solla Sollew!" yelled Little Cat U.

"Or they'll lock the Cat in prison!" shrieked Little Cat X.

"Okay," Joe said, understanding so far, "I promise you I'll find the Cat before that Glunk gets thunk out of that cave."

The tiny light and the rest of the cats all scurried up Joe's shoulder. He listened and smiled. They were purring like cats do. This was a matter of all Solla Sollew. The promise he made was his biggest and most honest promise he'd make in his young life.


	7. The Cat's house

Two days passed and Joe searched all of Solla Sollew for the Cat's house. He only went back to Sam and Gus's home for food and shelter. Despite the constant snores of the glunk that could be heard across the river and how every day Joe's friends became increasingly wary, the Little Cats would ensure the Cat would come to Solla Sollew soon.

It was strange they believed in the Cat at all because when they spoke of him, or Little Cat Z anyway, they weren't that nice.

"His brain is full of fluff," said Little Cat Z one night to Gus. Joe was in bed when he heard them having a conversation outside and couldn't help but listen. "Nothing but fluff, otherwise he would actually notice things around him."

"Why do you put up with him if you're as annoyed as everyone else?" Gus asked. It was a good question. Why were they so concerned about being separated from the Cat? They managed just fine without him.

"Well, why do you live here with Sam if all he does is irritate you?"

"That's not the same thing."

"Oh but it is. For if there wasn't a Sam, there would be no Sam and Gus. If there was no Cat in the Hat, there would be no Little Cats. We would simply be called 'cats', and there's no fun in that."

It truly was a stressful few days for Joe. Thinks were easier to communicate with then people but harder to understand. Though to be fair, some would argue that's how thinks should be.

* * *

Joe and the Little Cast embarked on their search by day three. The agreement to have Sam and Gus assume things were alright if they didn't return felt silly. What if they didn't come back because something awful had happened to them? Joe thought openly about it with the Little Cats but stopped him when they heard a loud ruckus.

"What is going on?" he asked.

The ruckus was coming from a bunch of children. They were all gathered around a gate, hitting at it with their hands. They were all shouting very loudly as if to get someone's attention.

"Go to them," said Little Cat X.

Little Cat's U and Z agreed. "Yes, there must be a reason why they're there."

So Joe walked up to the crowd of children, think children of course, and tapped one on the shoulder.

"Who are you shouting at?"

"Who?" asked the think, "why the Cat in the Hat!"

Joe and the Little Cat's spirits soared at those words and he too joined in the excitement. "You have to let me see him! It's important! Mr. Cat! Mr. Cat! Oh, where is he?"

"Hey, I know you!" said a think.

Joe looked behind him and jumped. It was the children from the other day, Ichabod and Izzy, and the same pair of pale green pants, the ones with no one inside them. Joe tried backing away but he was stuck in a crowd and only backed into a wall.

The older think glared at him and patted the pants on…what I assumed to be it's back.

"You hurt our friend's feelings. He is sensitive about being a pair of pants you know!" The pants sighed and sulked its belt, like how a person lowers it's head.

"I'm sorry I was in a hurry!"

"But it was still rude!" said Izzy.

Just then the yelling turned into screaming and the children all threw their hands in the air. Passing by in his what-you-might-call-it was the Cat. He tipped his hat at the children. "G'day everyone!"

"Cat! Cat! Wait, Cat!" Joe yelled. "Please! It's a matter of the Little Cats please!"

"Cat! Hear us! Hear me!" yelled the Little Cats U, Y, and Z who all dove out of Joe's pocket and crawled into his pocket. He drove right on by them humming away with a hurried look on his face. Before they knew it the solution to all of their problems was gone once again.

Joe started to cry. "I'm so sorry Little Cats!"

"Don't apologize please. We know that he's here. That's always good isn't it?" said Little Cat Y.

The thinks and the pants watched Joe crack down as the crowd walked away. They huddled in a circle, looked up at Joe and the Little Cats then went back to whispering amongst themselves. Then Ichabod came up and took Joe's hand. "Say, don't cry. Do you need to see the Cat?"

Joe sobbed heavier. "Y-ye-e-e-sss…it's important…"

"Well," Izzy said, "he's sure to stay for a couple of days. His house is probably near by. He likes Solla Sollew this time of year."

"D-do you know where he lives?" Joe asked.

Ichabod and Izzy stepped aside and the pair of pale green pants walked up to him. They bowed, and offered a leg in friendship.

"He'll lead you to the Cat! Our friend the pants knows all about this town."

Joe looked at the sentient pants in fear. They way they moved still wasn't natural to him. But then he felt the Little Cats shuffle about in his sleeves. He had to find the Cat, no matter what got in his way. Even walking pants.

He took the pant's leg and they pulled themselves over Joe's knees and briches.

"Alrighty pants, you lead this kid…um…what was your name again?" asked Ichabod.

"Joe Lesieg."

"Joe Lesieg. Lead Joe Lesieg to wherever the Cat in the Hat lives, okay?"

Joe swiveled around in the pants, trying to adjust them so that Little Cats V, W, and X could climb safely into his sleeves with the other little cats.

"Thank you! Ichabod and Izzy!" he said. Not being the best at names, it made Joe feel great when he said that out loud. Then he looked down. "Thank you pants!"

Ichabod and Izzy waved Joe a goodbye and the pants took off in a dash.

* * *

The pale green pants were awfully quick. They ran across town in a few minutes, never stopping in the least. It was an impressing fleet, especially for pants. You don't see many people or thinks running that fast without stop. Joe sat back and let them do as they were suppose to as they spoke their strange pants language with the Little Cats.

"My Mr. Pants," said Little Cat U shaking its zipper, "you're quite an intellectual."

The pants squeaked humbly for the praise to stop.

"No really, you are the type of citizen everyone should know here in Solla Sollew."

"More so then the Cat in the Hat certainly," said Little Cat V under Little Cat U's hat. "At least you do something."

"Stop!" Little Cat U cried. The pants screeched Joe's feet against the pavement. After apologizing to Joe for hurting his feet the pants took a few step backwards and were at another gate. Beyond the entrance was a vacant hill and a winding road leading up to the top. Sitting on the hill was a two-story red and white house. It was a cozy looking nook to say the least. Its roof was very thick and it had what looked like three balconies that overlooked the city.

Joe looked around. How could it be? They were on Mulberry Street. Just the other day they were there and this residence was nowhere in sight. This was the only explanation for why and how the Cat went anywhere he pleased. If he went somewhere, so did his house.

He took off the pants and thanked them for the ride. "I am really sorry about the other day. This was a big help! You barely know the half of it."

The pants made a "no big" motion with its leg and ran off to wherever it lived. Now it was just Joe, the Little Cats, and the house in front of them.

Since the place was surrounded by a big brick wall Joe thought that the Little Cats would do their hat trick again. Instead they told him to try and step through the bars and come out the other side. It was no problem at all, the bars were close together but Joe was able to sink through like a cat would. Made sense considering whose house it was.

Joe ignored the winding roads up to the house and darted across the lawn. The Little Cats assembled out of his pocket and celebrated with him.

"Wahoo! Yippee! We did it! We did it! We did it!"

"You did it boy," said the Little Cats. "You found our home. That's an impressing fleet for most of the children we visit!"

Joe felt his insides tickle. It felt good to be important. And because it was so early in the morning he had all day to celebrate his success. All this worrying would come to an end.

He walked up to the door and knocked three times. Then he thought about it and asked the Little Cats, "do you think the Cat is home?"

"Maybe, maybe not," said Little cat Y. "He doesn't always answer the door but the Things just might."

"Who are the Things?" asked Joe. "Are they like that one thing that won't stop singing on the street?"

The Little Cats laughed. "No. You'll see."

Remarkably though a thing didn't open the door. A cat opened it but not the one they wanted to see. He looked like the Cat in the Hat and all the Little Cats. He wore a big red and white striped hat, a bowtie, and was black and white. But he looked different for some reason. His markings weren't the same as the Cat and his gloves were blue not white. The biggest shock was the voice. All the rest of the Little Cats sounded like the Cat in the Hat but tinier (with the exception of Little Cat Z). Not this cat.

"Who are you?" he asked in a very young, bratty voice. "I've never seen you in Solla Sollew."

Joe smiled. "Well…I don't live here but…are you the Cat in the Hat?"

"No!" said the small cat. "Go away, you look weird."

Joe never received a comment like that before not even on the playground at school.

"Oh Joe," said Little Cat U, "this is Cat Jr. we forgot about him."

"Who is that?" asked Cat Jr. when he heard the voice.

Joe stepped back a bit. "No one."

"You're a bad liar. Get over here I wanna see!"

Cat Jr. rung Joe up by his hair and reached for his pocket. "Don't you dare," said Little Cat Z.

The young cat gasped. "You? Hey! You guys said you forgot about me!"

"Junior, we need to see your father. Where is he?"

Cat Jr. ignored the question. "How did you get a hold of my dad's Little Cats? Did you steal them?" he asked Joe.

The Little Cats persisted and stood up for young Joe, who was growing very intimidated. "Don't you hurt him, Junior. He's a good boy. Your father forgot us and he came all the way from his home town to bring us back."

Not even this impressed the young cat. In fact he looked angrier then before. He took Joe by his shirt and pulled him into the house. Despite being shorter then Joe the young Cat was unusually strong. Joe screamed like a baby being taken somewhere he didn't want to. He was taken in so fast that neither he nor the Little Cats could do anything to stop him.

When they reached the end of a hallway, Cat Jr. threw Joe and the Little Cats into a pantry. He slammed the door behind them.

"Quick boy open the door!" shrieked the Little Cats but it was too late. There was a firm snapping sound and then everything was quiet.

"Oh! That evil kitten, he's locked us in!" said Little Cat Z. "When I see his father…"

Joe tried to open the lock door by force. "Help!" he screamed.

"It's not use boy. Pantries are soundproof. We can hear everything they're saying out there but they can't hear a peep from us."

"Why would you sound proof a pantry? You don't keep people in pantries!" Joe said.

"Maybe where you come from they don't."

Disturbed, Joe curled up into a ball as it was the most comfortable position you could be in a cramped space. The tears from earlier were coming back but were heavier now. He succeeded in getting the Little Cats home but had no clue what was to happen to him.

"No, no, no, don't cry!" said Little Cat Y. "Why, I'm sure Z and I can try and slip under the door? What do you think Z?"

No one said anything or did anything until Little Cat Z reached the door. "It'll take awhile but I'll try-" Suddenly there was a mumbling noise. Joe and the Little Cats all heard Cat Jr. speaking with someone outside.

"Oh, hi Thing 1!"

There was the oddest language ever spoken sort of like nonsense but it still had some flow to it. The Little Cats seemed to understand but Joe didn't. This was the sound he heard:

"Ha hee who mee wha?", or something like that.

"No. It's just me and myself down here. Not another think in sight."

"Oooo?"

"Yes! I swear Thing 1."

Silence.

"Gwoo hooo."

"Sure. Thanks anyway."

Then they stopped talking. Little Cat Z flicked on his flashlight and put it on the ground. It was tiny, but the rest of the pantry was pitch-black. Really, it was the best light Joe would be getting until he got out. He sure hoped that however long "awhile" was it wasn't that long. If you've ever been in a cramped space it's usually very hard to breath and it gets pretty warm stuck in there. Joe asked the darkness, "How are you doing?"

"I am currently right on the edge of the door."

"Just the edge?"

"Patience boy," said Z and the other Little Cats. While Little Cat Z worked through most of the Thing and Junior's conversation, he and the rest of the Cats all listened closely when they heard the door of the house open and someone step in.

"Dad!" cried Cat Jr's voice happily. It was the Cat in the Hat.

"Not now," said the Cat's voice. The Cat was always relaxed so when he spoke noticed how flustered he sounded. "Someone dreadful has happened."

There was a long silence and the shuffling of materials like clothing and paper before anyone spoke.

"What happened?"

"I've left them!"

"What dad?"

"I've left them behind!" cried the Cat in the Hat.

Cat Jr. gasped, "Little Cat Z?"

"And Little Cat U, and V, and X, and Y! Oh Junior this is a disaster!"

The young cat was quiet but when he did speak, he didn't sound all that concerned.  
"Well…you'll find em' I'm sure."

The Cat in the Hat didn't hear what Cat Jr. had to say. "Little Cat's A-T, assemble. I want you to search the whole house."

"No!" cried Cat Jr. Joe and the Little Cats all sighed knowing their chance at freedom was getting away from them. "I mean…ask the Things! Yeah! I heard the Things talking earlier.

The Cat in the Hat, panting it seemed, actually listened this time. "Alright, alright. I guess I am jumping to conclusions. The Things are smart so they'll know where the Little Cats are. As for the rest of you, stay in there until I say so."

Everyone in the panty heard footsteps above them and an upstairs door slam behind those steps. Just as Little Cat Z was about to speak a clink sound was heard and the bright light of outside shun through the pantry. Joe breathed and quickly stepped out but the door was then shut behind him, closing the Little Cats in.

* * *

"Ya' got any Little Cats on you?" asked Cat Jr. Joe shook his head. Cat Jr. took Joe by the wrist and dragged him over to the staircase. "Let's make a deal. I'll keep you outta that pantry if you let me give my dad back those Little Cats."

Joe was taken back by this immediate decision on the young cat's part. Was that really the right thing to do? He probably knew about the Little Cats more the Joe did but why did he lock them away then? He had to be aware of how important they were to the rest of Solla Sollew. Luckily Cat Jr. was quick to answer all these internal questions.

"My dad ill' like me if I do that! Please?" Joe didn't understand. All parents loved, or at the very least, _liked_ their children.

"What are you talking about?"

"My dad wants a better kid, I know it. Why else would his playmates start coming to our door asking to see him? I've tried being a good thinker like he wants but I'm to normal. I bet I can't even grow into my hat!" Cat Jr. complained.

Being an only child, Joe never thought he would have to be reasonable with someone his age. He put his hand on Cat Jr's shoulder. "Why would giving him back the Little Cats help?"

"Because, when my dad sees that I found his missing cats all by myself, he'll think I'm a better son! It has to work! Especially if…" Cat Jr. said taking off his over-sized hat and whispering into Joe's ear, "…I use my hat in it all. Please? His little cats are super important to him!"

"They're also important to-"

"Please!" Cat Jr. begged. "Before he comes downstairs!"

Sometimes despite something being nailed in the back of your head you still overlook it. Despite everything the Little Cats, Sam, Gus, and other civilians in Solla Sollew told him, Joe couldn't help but give into someone as young and as troubled as he was. "Okay. If you really want."

"Hooray!" Cat Jr. smiled and became a completely different person. He hoped around Joe in a circle and swung his tail around his arm.

"My dad will think I'm a great kit! Thank you so much what-ever-your-name is!"

"It's Joe. Slow Joe Lesieg."

"Consider me a friend Joe Lesieg," said Cat Jr. putting out a hand. "I want you to call me C. J. too!"

Then there came a big scream of frustration from upstairs. It was the Cat, loosing his temper at the Things whose mumbles could also be heard from above. C. J. and Joe had never heard him this upset and stayed as quiet as mice. The door to the Cat's room burst open. Little Cat A, who was no shorter then the boys, ran down the stairs with Little Cats B-C following behind him.

"Junior we need your help! The Things don't know where the Little Cats U-Z are! You have to help us!" they said. Just before reaching the final step they all stopped in their tracks and saw Joe standing there.

He waved at the Little Cats whom he first met and said, "how do you do?" too. But they didn't say anything. They simply stood there for a few seconds.

"Um…Little Cat B, Little Cat C…go get the Cat please. Tell him we have company," said Little Cat A. The smaller Cats nodded and darted back up the stairs. Little Cat A drew closer to Joe and Cat Jr. "Who are you?"

"Slow Joe!" said Cat Jr. for Joe. "You know Little Cat A, Slow Joe Leseig?"

"Never heard of a Slow Joe. All cept' a Crow who lives down the street."

Joe whimpered. I guess Slow Joe was just a common name out here. Then Little Cat A asked Joe; "Have you seen any cats like me, only much, muuuuuuuUch smaller? I feel like we've met before."

Joe was going to open his mouth when Cat Jr. stopped him again. "Nope! Joe here just got lost along the way!"

Then the Cat appeared with his army of Little Cats behind him. He smiled that typical, relaxed smile of his. Any fear or stress in his walk was gone in the blink of an eye but the other Little Cats were not as relaxed. "Ah!" he said, "you! Why, we met on Saturday am I right? Where are my manners? This is so embarrassing. What is your name again lad?"

"Joe," Joe, Little Cat A, and Cat Jr. all said at the same time.

"Of course!" purred the Cat in the Hat. "I guess you deserve a proper introduction. This is my house. You've met the Little Cats and, oh where are the Things? Thing 1, Thing 2, come down here!"

With the clap of his paw off the staircase jumped two things. They looked exactly a like; minus of course the fact that one had a #1 on his chest and the other had a #2. They wore red sleepers and had very pale looking skin and blue, scruffy hair. They bowed at Joe's feet and said "hello" in a very mumbled language. It sounded more like: "Weho!"

The Cat in the Hat patted his things on their heads. "These are my helpmates, Thing 1 and Thing 2. They're awfully nice and they stick with me better than glue. Now then, Joe. Can I ask you someth-"

"Dad!" said Cat Jr. trying to get his father's attention.

"Hm? Oh! I almost forgot. Over there is my son, Cat Jr. Now as I was saying," the Cat in the Hat continued, "have you seen any Little Cats since I last met up with you Joe? I'm missing a few."

Having just watched the Cat shrug off his son's beckoning, Joe lied. "No. I haven't. Sorry."

The Things and Little Cats all exhaled in defeat. "Well then, what are you doing here Joe?"

Joe turned to Cat Jr. who again had an idea off the top of his head. "Joe and I are new best friends dad!" he said. "He came by and wanted to see what our house is like. Right Joe?"

"Yep! I did! It was hard to find your house but I did! And now that I've seen it I'll see you tomorrow Cat Jr?"

"Yeah, sure! See ya' tomorrow Joe!"

"No! No!" said the Cat in the Hat. "You're here in our house, you're a guest and you should be treated like one. Tomorrow I need to keep on looking for my Little Cats. Wanna come with the Thing's and I?"

Joe stared at all the faces looking at him, big and small. "Okay."

"Great! You can share Cat Jr's room. Things, take Joe upstairs!"

Thing 1 and Thing 2 cheered and ran towards little Joe. They picked him up and held him over their heads like an umbrella in the rain. Then they marched up stairs with Joe not making a sound and threw him into one of the top rooms.

The Cat in the Hat looked down at his son. "Cat Jr. are you okay?"

Cat Jr. was pouting. He looked at the pantry and, knowing that the Little Cats in question were behind it, figured his father would probably treat him better if he waited awhile. If he was happy now just wait until he's been out all day and comes home to find his Little Cats safe and sound. Then, he wouldn't think he's just a good son. He would be a great son!

"Why don't you take Joe out? I'll stay here, look for the Little Cats while your gone. I mean for all we know they could still be in the house."


	8. Denial

The Cat in the Hat lived in a wonderful house. It was strange but still wonderful. There were polls to climb down on if there weren't staircases. Every person had his own musical instrument of some sort. Cat Jr, for example, woke Joe up that morning by playing a giant thing called a Hut-Zut, which you blew on one side and strung on the other. Anything that wasn't a vacant red or white was usually striped, not that much different from all the hats the cats wore. The carpet was soft but Joe couldn't help but notice that there was a scratch mark here and there. He asked Cat Jr. about this when he was putting on his gloves. "Always gotta where yer' cat gloves," he said with a wink.

Details like that were to be suspected. After all this was a cat home. But it was also the home of two Things. And boy, could you tell where they resided. The hallway leading up to their shared bedroom looked like a nightmare. Not a single thing upon the floor was one piece and kites were strung up on the ceiling, almost like decorations.

Everyone knew where the Cat stayed. He had the highest room and a bed that was ruffled and rumped from one to many jumping sessions. A big glass window swallowed up his wall.

"Aak!" Joe cried when the Cat showed him the view from his room. They were no longer on Mulberry Street. Solla Sollew and the River Wa-Hoo were in the distance.

"What is it?" asked the Cat.

"What is it? Look! Where's Solla Sollew!? We were just here the other day? What happened? We're on a beach somewhere and…and…why are you laughing?"

The Cat in the Hat was laughing as were the Things and some Little Cats in the doorway.

"How on earth did you get here?" asked Little Cat D.

"The house moves from one spot to another whenever it feels like it," said Little Cat E.

"Yehoo!" said Thing 2, mockingly.

Joe face turned bright red. "I gotta go downstairs." He hurried out the door and down the steps. Then he stopped halfway there.

"Thing 1 said you were making noise the other day Cat Jr," said a small voice. It was Little Cat C speaking to Cat Jr. at the bottom of the staircase, right next to the pantry. "Why, just this morning I heard someone scream out after I told you to fetch me a sugar cube from the cupboard. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" Cat Jr. insisted turning his back on the Little Cat.

"If you were fine you wouldn't be upset over me asking now would you? You're hiding something aren't you?"

"No! I'm not!"

"Hey!" Joe interrupted. The small cat looked up. "The Cat is getting ready to go and I think he wants you with him. You know, you being so little and all."

"Hmphf. Let it be," said Little Cat C. Then he hopped up the stairs to join his fellow Little Cats leaving Joe to fill in his role.

"Why are you still hiding the Little Cats? I thought you would have told your dad about them by now."

Cat Jr. was sweeping the hallway and straightening up the room. "Well…I just thought overnight that it might make him real happy if he gets his Little Cats after two long days. Then, and if I tighty up, he'll be extra happy with me."

The way C. J. spoke worried Joe but he didn't think much of it. He had Little Cats to "find".

* * *

"Goodbye dad!" Cat Jr. said as he waved his father, the Things, Joe, and the Little Cats in the Cat's hat out the door. The Cat waved back to him and opened his what-you-might-call-it's door. Joe was about to step in when the Cat pushed him away.

"Ah, ah, ah, manners please. The Things always get the front seat," said the Cat.

Joe humbly stepped down and let Thing 1 and Thing 2 shove him out of the way, mumbling their amused mumblish-language. Joe hopped into the back, buckled his seatbelt and the What-you-might-call-it was off.

It was actually a pretty fast automobile especially since it had one wheel and about ten hands sticking out of it that had lives of their own. Then again perhaps it was not very fast and the Cat just made it that way.

"Hello there Fleesh Sneetch how are you today?" said the Cat. Joe looked out the car and saw where they were. They were near a shoreline. No, not _a_ shoreline. The exact same shoreline he and the Little Cats first arrived in! Beyond the hills in front of him he could see the same plain he walked across all day. With the fresh smell of frankfurters rising through the air Joe knew exactly who lived here.

"Sneetches!" he said very happily. He stood up on his seat so whomever the Cat was speaking with would see him even though the Things didn't exactly appreciate it.

"Joe, please, I must speak with my friends-"

"Hello you!" It was Fleesh Sneetch from before. "So I guess you found Solla Sollew?"

"Yep! And the Cat in the Hat has a big amazing house I got to go in. And Solla Sollew is really pretty too! And I met a lot of Thinks there. And I was saved by one of those thinks by a fox that wears socks. And I became friends with a pair of pale-green-pants and…"

Fleesh Sneetch laughed at Joe then turned back to the Cat. "Anyway, headed into town?"

"Just a few errands. I'm uh…looking for something you could say."

Fleesh Sneetch held onto the what-you-might-call-it's handle. "Cat, I know it's awkward but where are the dooglas you promised to donate?" he said. "You said that you would help our beach stay flourious but you haven't helped the cause."

The Cat groaned, the same way a kid does when their mother asks them to take out the garbage. Joe however was far more interested. Ignoring the pushing and shoving of the Things he threw himself over the side of the contraption.

"Your home is getting destroyed?" asked Joe. "I didn't know."

Fleesh Sneetch nodded. "It's our beaches. They get dirtier with trash every day. Pretty soon we'll have start finding a new home. But we can't do that! Sneetches need beaches! And we need a lot more hands then our own to keep it up." Then Fleesh Sneetch stared at the Cat with big, pleading eyes.

"And I will keep it up," the Cat insisted.

"You said that three months ago," said Fleesh Sneetch, "you haven't got any tricks for us to copy do you?"

"I do! I do!" the Cat protested. Then he thought for a minute and said, "If you and the sneetches throw a big think in the water it will create a big splash and wash all the garbage out. See? Easy as that."

The Things and Joe, feeling a little bit awkward since they of course had to be on the Cat's side, ducked down in the car. "There are so many reasons for why that won't work. Come on Cat, I don't want another enemy. This is for all your friends on this beach. It's important to them. In fact, it's important to those in Solla Sollew too! What are you going to do if the glunk gets thunk ou-"

"Don't bring that up!" yelled the Cat. He started up his car and pushing the sneetch out of his view said. "If you need me, I'll be in Solla Sollew."

Then he drove off.

Joe looked behind him and saw the dust kick up in Fleesh Sneetch's face, knocking the cap he was wearing clean off his head. Their water really didn't look all that clean. He wanted to do something but he couldn't. He just sat down and said nothing.

* * *

"Ah, Solla Sollew," the Cat in the Hat said. Joe wasn't paying attention but sure enough there was the wall of Solla Sollew and the river Wa-Hoo in front of them. It truly was much faster to get there in car then on foot.

"Thing 1, Thing 2, do what you always do," said the Cat. The Things smiled and jumped across the river Wahoo. They scaled the wall and jumped over the other side. The Cat sat back; silent and not thinking about what they were doing over there. Then he nudged Joe. "Watch this."

Joe watched the wall, waiting for something to happen, when a door appeared out of nowhere and was opened even faster then that. The Thing's stood there, cherishing the pride of the moment before signally the Cat to come over.

With switch of a few knobs and buttons the what-you-might-call-it's arms stretched out and walked right into the river Wa-Hoo but keeping the occupants suspended above water. Then it reached the door and snuck inside, Thing 1 and Thing 2 latching to its engine.

Before Joe knew it he was back in the beautiful, clean city of Solla Sollew, surrounded by miraculous thinks of all shapes and sizes. Up ahead was the park with its lovely green grass. And way, waaaaaay beyond in the distance was the sickle cave holding the glunk, or the certain think that apparently mustn't be brought up. They passed that one lookout point and headed to a market place where sellers had signs up on their shops that read:

"Shclop"

"Muzelberry"

"Frazzleapple"

"Whatsthis"

"Thneeds"

"Shingdizzer"

"Bicycle parts" and so on.

The Cat took off his hat and let his Little Cats run loose. "Go!" he whispered, "hurry! Find what you can find, all of you."

Little Cats A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S and T nodded for their friend and ran off. Then the Cat turned to Thing 1 and Thing 2. "Alright, they'll be looking low so you two try and look high. Me and Joe, well we'll be looking every place in between."

He would have objected to helping the Cat but before Joe could speak he saw his friends Gus and Sam walk down the street. "Hey!" he called. "Sam! Sam I Am, it's me! Joe!"

Sam looked up and smiled. "It is Joe. And look Gus, he's found the Cat!"

"What?" asked the Cat in the Hat at the mention of his name.

Gus and Sam had already walked up to Joe and began chatting with him.

"So you found him all on your own huh? What did I tell you Gus? Nothing to worry about," Sam said very proudly.

"Fine Sam. Because you are always the right one after all," Gus said sarcastically, or what sounded sarcastic anyway. "I must say, I'm impressed boy. I didn't know you had it in you." Gus was holding three folded-up sheets of wire and Sam was holding a box. Joe had never seen wire fencing like that before and asked what it was for.

"Oh it's a barbed-wire kit. You get the wire then you put on the barbs later."

"What do you want with that?" asked Joe.

Sam patted the box. "Well we were worried after you didn't come back so we thought that maybe we should be careful just in case."

Just then the Cat appeared and nabbed the box and wire right out of their hands. "B-but there is no need to be careful," he said throwing them in the back of his contraption. "Because things are perfectly alright here in Solla Sollew and their going to stay that way. What is wrong with you two? Trying to get this boy all worked up over nothing!"

"Cat we know Joe," Sam protested.

"And he should know right away if we do have troubles in Solla Sollew," Gus said.

"No he does not! And-and neither does any other think. Everything will be alright on my watch"

Gus glared at the Cat and puffed up his incredibly fluffy chest at him. "This is reality Cat. You have to face it at some point. But, for you and you only, Sam and I will go."

Sam showed no objections of ignoring his friend and with an agreeing "hmph", followed Gus.

The Cat retaliated with a comment of his own:

"I do live in reality. But I live in mine because it is smarter then most!"

* * *

"Ouch! Oh my," said the Fox in Socks who was scurrying by. He was almost hit by the rim of the Cat's what-you-might-call-it. As the Cat stopped his car the Fox saw Joe and said, "wait, I know who you are!"

Then he hoped on the back and the Things made a motion for the fox to come up and join in their commotion.

"You're that fox who likes to make tongue twisters," said Joe. "I never got to really thank you for saving me from that think that sings."

Thing 2 gasped and Thing 1 looked horrified. Luckily the Cat was there to explain. "It's sort of common courteously here these days. Everyone gets away from that singing think."

The Fox in Socks laughed. "Well not everyone is as good with words as this boy," the Fox said. Then he whispered in Joe's ear. "In fact, I'm the reason Thing 1 and 2 over there talk the way they do."

"But they don't talk at all."

"Oh, if only you knew! They really talk just fine it's just that it's always so fast that you can't hear what their saying."

Joe gasped and the Thing's winked at the Fox in Socks. "Really? Wow, if I could do that! Maybe you could teach me Mr. Socks Fox?"

"Of course!"

Then the Cat, who was already out of humor spoke up. "I'd rather you not. It was a long, complicated process to get Thing 1 and Thing to speak like they do."

Then Thing 2 said. "He fuzzn't?"

Then the Cat pulled up to the side of a street and set the Fox in Socks down on his blue, foxy feet. "W-what are you doing?"

"Sorry but we're almost home," the Cat said before hitting the engine on his what-you-might-call-it for the third time today.

Then Joe tried to advocate for yet another think whose friendliness had been shrugged off. He couldn't think of anything though so he just pointed out the fact. "But we're not anywhere near home Cat."

"Yes we are," said the Cat as he opened his gate to the house that appeared on the same street as last night. Joe remembered the rule of the ever-appearing house and didn't complain.


	9. The Cat with no Hat

"Hello dad!" Cat Jr. said opening the door for his father and the Things to step in. Seeing Cat Jr. made Joe feel a little bit better. He knew that with Cat Jr's love he had for his dad, he would follow through with his promise and give the Little Cats back.

The Cat in the Hat tried to smile for his son but it was an unfinished smile. Anyone who has ever seen an unfinished smile knows how unsettling they are, especially on the face of someone who always finishes their smiles. The day was terrible for the poor Cat in the Hat. Even with the brightest of suns out it felt hopelessly bleak and sad.

"Hello there Cat Jr," he said. "How were things for you today?"

"Fine. I have something to show you though…"

"Son, please that has to wait," the Cat said. He took off his hat and emptied the Little Cats out. "Joe, you can stay if you like but this is a purely Cat-household related matter."

Joe said he didn't mind leaving but kept by anyways. He went up the stairs and looked out the window just to make sure the house hadn't moved somewhere else after they came in.

"Everyone. We're not coming back to Solla Sollew," the Cat said. Quite a few mumbles, gasps, and whispers came from the other room. Among the voices was Cat Jr.

"Never coming back?"

"Never."

"But why?" Cat Jr. asked.

The Cat in the Hat refused to answer the question and just went on. "We might not be seeing it ever again. It or any think living here."

That slow brain of Joe's had to fire up before finally putting two and two together. What a grizzly thing to say!

"But why? Why dad? Why can't we see anyone here again? I love Solla Slew, you know that! We all do!"

The Cat raised his voice to get his son to reason. "Come on Cat Jr. We have dozens of homes. I'm sure anyone of them is fine."

"But I wanna know why we can't live come back here!" demanded Cat Jr.

"That's enough," the Cat in the Hat said, "you should never speak to your father like that! Go to your room at once. And don't come out until I say so!"

Cat Jr. stepped back. His father never told him to go to his room. Rooms were never fun when someone was punishing you in them. And the Cat in the Hat lived for fun. The Things who were standing beside the Cat gasped at his suggestion as though he was verbally abusing his son. Cat Jr. was not willing to take up the command.

"But…dad…"

"Now young cat!" the Cat said putting his foot down and pointing to the flight of stairs.

Cat Jr. slinked away quietly up the steps until he ran down the hall crying.

* * *

Joe tried to help Cat Jr. feel better about never returning to Solla Sollew but it was hard.

"C. J," he said, as Cat Jr. cried over his Hut-Zut, "it's okay if you never come back to Solla Sollew. Maybe…maybe…"

"No! I'm not mad about not coming back!" Cat Jr. said.

Joe was confused. "You're not? Well why are you sad then?"

"Because my dad is sad. What happened? What did he do? What did I do?" Cat Jr. continued to get more upset the more he went on. "I can't talk to my dad now! He's not happy like I planned. He's sadder then before! Worse, he's mad at me!"

Joe started to get annoyed by the ignorance to keep the Little Cats locked up. It was as if he wanted to drag it out for dramatic effect rather then actually solve the problem instantly. Luckily Cat Jr. would never be that foolish.

"I'll see your dad for you. I'll tell you if he feels better or worse. Then, you see him when he's better. Does that sound good?"

Cat Jr. plucked on the strings of his beautiful, brass Hut-Zut and whimpered, "yes, please."

Joe agreed politely and shut the door behind him. He walked down the hall to the staircase where he found something sitting at its base. The Hat! A Hat but not a Cat in sight. He looked inside but there were no Little Cats tucked safely away. It was strange to see that Hat by itself so Joe automatically presumed the worse.

"Cat?" he called. "Cat in the Hat? I got your hat!"

He walked down the stairs and passed by the den where he found him. A cat with no hat.

The Cat with no Hat was sprawled out like an actual cat over a big reading chair next to a fireplace. The chair was fit for a king, or at the very least, the man of the house. You could tell because next to it was another large chair and three stools. It was a picture meant for a husband, wife, and three small children, not a sad cat sitting all by himself.

"Cat," Joe said, getting the Cat to look up at him, "I found this."

Joe walked up to the king-sized chair and handed the hat to its owner. He took it but instead of placing it on his head sat it next to him. Joe decided to sit on one of the stools next to his chair. "Why are you sad?" he asked.

The Cat sighed. "I…I have troubles to deal with is all."

"What kind of troubles?"

"The sort of troubles that like to bite you on the two just as another has you by the ear. Nothing you need to know about Joe."

Joe would have said something powerful to get it through the Cat's skull that he was being childish for rudely shutting all the thinks from earlier out. Instead, he said this:

"You were mean today."

The Cat's sad eyes met his. He nodded. "I know I was. No, I have been! I don't want to be mean to my friends it's just that what else do you expect me to do? I wish I knew where Little Cats Z, Y, X, W, V and U are. Something bad is going to happen, I just know it! And if things are fixed without a VOOM everyone here will think I'm terrible, a curse, or a hex! That's why I can't possibly stay here!"

Joe was surprised. Being "Slow Joe" actually helped him out this time. He'd like to see "Fast Joe" make the Cat speak like so.

The Cat rose from his chair and looked at the fireplace. "Whenever I had a problem, I went to see if there was a kid who also had problems. I'd play my troubles away! I find some kids who were left alone in the house and needed some cheering up because they were lonely."

"Like C. J. right?" Joe said.

The Cat's next sentence was silenced. Joe could see it in the way that his raised finger shook.

The Cat with no Hat slowly brought his glove-covered paw to his face. He wasn't crying, but covering his face helped him hide his face. Joe didn't mind. Whatever face he was making it was bound to be bad.

"I'm a bad playmate," the Cat said.

"What?"

"When I had a kitten, I thought we'd have lots of fun together! But as time went by and playing with him didn't make him happy anymore I didn't know what to do. So I stopped playing with him. Why should I play with someone who wouldn't even want to play at some point?"

"Because, Cat," a small voice said. It was Little Cat C awake and aware. "You're not suppose to be his playmate. You're supposed to be his parent. There is a reason why everyone everywhere we go hates the way you live."

"What? Excuse me Little Cat C! None of my friends hate my way of life," the Cat with no Hat said.

"Stop denying the truth Cat. All of us, minus your son anyway, know how ignorant you can be."

"All of us?" the Cat said. Little Cat C let the smaller cats out of his hat and Little Cat A and B step out of their hiding places. "Little Cats, w-what are you doing?"

"Trying to do what Joe is," said Little Cat B. The Cat looked at Joe who shrugged in denial. "You are a brilliant Cat in a Hat but you're a terrible adult. Leaving this town when you know something is wrong is irresponsible. You owe it to Solla Sollew to help them in their time of need. You are a think. No one thinks thoughts better then a think."

The Cat with no Hat looked at the Little Cats. He turned to Joe who was holding his hat in his hands. He picked up his hat and twirled it around, watching it's red and white stripes move, even when he stopped twirling it. He loved hat tricks ever since he first got his hat. He couldn't imagine a Cat in a Hat without his tricks.

After a moment of silence he gradually placed the hat atop his head.

"What am I doing moping around?" he said. Then he smiled a real smile, the smile the Cat in the Hat should have. "What are we, cats or men Little Cats?" he asked his army. The Little Cats didn't answer so he went right ahead explaining. "That's right, we are cats! And cats are no ordinary thinks! They certainly would not loose track of a missing cat, or more even! All of you get to bed. I want everyone in this house looking somewhere in Solla Sollew for those missing cats before time runs out. You and the Things will scale every inch of the town. As for Junior, me and him will look elsewhere."

The Little Cats cheered now that their old Cat was back. They ran up to his legs, purring against his fur. He purred back and thought a bit more about his son. "In fact it's probably much safer with me then anywhere else."


	10. A think down the drain

"Joe?" asked the sniffling Cat Jr. when Joe returned to his room. "W-what's wrong?"

"C. J, come on!" he said taking Cat Jr. by the hand.

"What are you doing? Is my dad okay?"

Joe didn't answer let him. Wary of any Little Cats, or worse the Cat himself, he dragged Cat Jr. down the stairs to the pantry. Then he pointed at the lock and said, "Open this! Now!"

"Why?"

"Why? Cat Jr. the reason your dad wants to leave is cause of those Little Cats. Especially Cat Z's Zoon or Woom or…"

Cat Jr. gasped. "You know about VOOM?"

"Yeah, that's it! Anyway, if the Cat in the Hat doesn't start that VOOM everyone will be really mad at him," Joe said repeating what Little Cat Z told him. Cat Jr. started to get impatient and gave him a questionable look.

"Why? Why does my dad need a VOOM now? What is the VOOM gonna do?"

Joe was confused. He had been told all about VOOM but Cat Jr, son of the Cat in the Hat himself, didn't know? "There is this think that could get out any moment. What is it called…a gunk?"

"A gunk? My dad didn't say anything about any gunks. I think you're the one making things up."

"No he's not!" said a voice. The sound of that booming, deep, familiar tone brought chills up their spines. It was Little Cat Z! Wherever he was, somehow he got free!

"Little Cat Z," asked Joe, "where are you?"

"Over here, in the pantry door! I'm right above the lock! Here, let me see if the light will work on you," said Little Cat Z. Then the very tiny light that was nowhere near as bright as before flickered on just where Little Cat Z said he was. Joe was happy but Little Cat Z was angrier then ever. "Cat Jr! You open this lock and get the other Little Cats out. It took me hours to crawl through that crack. Needless to say I'm going to make sure your father knows what you did."

"No!" Cat Jr. said picking up Little Cat Z. "I won't let you! I gotta do this for my dad!"

"What were you even expecting us to say when you did let us out?" asked Little Cat Z. "There _are _some troubles in Solla Sollew that you're not old enough to remember so if you won't listen to Joe, listen to me. Or by the letter on my small hat I'll unleash a VOOM on you!"

"No!" Cat Jr. said flinging Little Cat Z over his shoulder. He and Joe heard his deep voice yelp.

"Ouch!"

Then after a few plinking sounds against the wall, there was a "plunk" in the room's air vent. The deep voice screamed before fading into silence. The tiny light disappeared with it.

C. J. and Joe were horrified. Any hope they had went down the drain…or vent in this case.

"L-Little Cat Z? Are you okay?" called Joe after the sound.

….

Absolute silence.

Cat Jr. was scared. "W-what did you say that think was?"

"What?"

"That think! The one you said might get out?"

"Um…funk…gump….oh it's something with a 'G'"

"It's a glunk, not a gunk. I remember now. My dad talked about the glunk sometimes. That it was a very large think with very big feet and it liked to step on people's houses."

Cat Jr. took off his blue gloves, feeling his sweaty paws. "This…this is all my fault…."

Most friends say something to reassure their companion to look on the positive side. Not this time. It really was his fault. The young cat's rationality was inexcusable and he knew it.

C. J. darted up the stairs in seconds. Joe thought he went up there to cry again. He didn't blame him. He wanted to cry too. At this rate the cats would never find Little Cat Z and whatever a VOOM was. Then all of the sudden there was a _Bump!_ sound.

Joe looked up and he saw Cat Jr. hauling behind a big red box behind him. At his sides? Why the Things! They were all ready for their day. They held in their hands a bunch of mining tools and some big flashlights. Saluting their younger friend Cat Jr. put down the box and spoke to Joe.

"Okay Joe, this is important. Can you listen to me?"

Joe gulped, wondering how big a part he had in whatever scheme the kitten had up his glove. "Yes."

"Tell my dad that the Things and I are going out to find Little Cat Z. That air vent could lead to anywhere and anywhere is just where we're going. Right things?" Cat Jr. asked.

The Things joyfully agreed in their mumbling language and hopped quickly into the box.

"But C. J. the Cat said he wanted you and the things to help him look."

Cat Jr. was to busy picking up the crate. "Then tell him that I decided to change the plans."

"But-"

"Make yourself useful in the meantime Joe," Cat Jr. said walking out the door, "try to undo that lock on the pantry too. You can get the rest of the Little Cats out. Bye now!"

Joe just watched as Cat Jr. stomped across the lawn and out the gate carrying the red crate behind him.


	11. To many troubles

It's hard to pick at something unpickable but Joe tried his best. He searched around for a key but he didn't know where to look. There were so many strange nooks in the Cat's house that it was impossible to find them all. What was worse was that all that time Joe hadn't gotten any sleep. So there he was hurting his thumbs on the lock in the middle of the night when he should be getting to bed in the first place. Why didn't he object to Cat Jr. as it is? How could he know what to do if he didn't know what a glunk was?

He was dozing off on the job when a big sound woke him up. It was a trumpet, one of the instruments that was in one of the rooms no doubt, was blown in Joe's ear. It was Little Cat E tooting a very proud toot of victory.

The Little Cat army assembled down the stairs with the Cat in the Hat twirling his umbrella likes a baton at the very end.

"Nice job boys," he said. "Tell Joe there how to man the house while I get Cat Jr. alright."

"Got it Cat," all twenty small cats said together in their tiny voices. They turned to Joe. "Tell us if you hear any loud or small noises in the house. You'll know when we're there or not. And if anything crushes the house, think of it like an earthquake. That way it will leave you to believe you might actually get out in one piece."

"Um…Little Cats…"

"Cat Jr?" the Cat called into his son's room and down the hall. "Cat Jr? Where are you? I want you to come with me this time. I'll tell you on the way."

He came down stairs. "You saw Cat Jr. last, am I right?"

"Yes," said Joe. "He was here last night. But it's hard to explain. He already left to find Little Cat Z."

"What? Oh no, that can't be. I didn't tell him yet."

"Well Cat, or 'cats', I guess," said Joe looking at all of them, "Little Cat's U and Z have been here all along. C. J. hid them here in this pantry."

All the Little Cats gasped, some even shouting an "I knew it!" while waving a fist in the air. But the Cat in the Hat shirked it off.

"You know Joe," he said, "I do know a bit about my son. I know he isn't a liar. Really how could the Little Cats be in-"?

The Cat pulled out a skeleton key from his glove and unlocked the pantry door. Out flung Little Cat U, V, W, X and Y all gasping for breath.

"Cat! Thank goodness! We thought we'd never see you again! After Little Cat Z didn't get out, we've been worried sick!" said Little Cat V.

The Cat in the Hat frilled up in shock. He looked amongst the lost Little Cats attentively. Little Cat Z wasn't there. As the other Little Cats helped their missing members the Cat in the Hat took Joe by the shoulders. "You knew about this all along?"

"Yes," he whimpered.

"Why? Why didn't you tell me? Do you know what'll happen if I don't have all my Little Cats?"

"I know, the glunk that looks like it might be unthunk from its cave-"

"If you knew that why didn't you do anything?" the Cat in the Hat asked.

"Cat Jr. wanted it to be a secret so that you would be happy when he returned them to you. He kept pushing it back cause he thought it would make you really happy.

The Cat put Joe back on the ground. He really hadn't communicated with his kitten well.

"W-where did you say Cat Jr. was now?"

"He lost Little Cat Z down that vent and went off somewhere with the things in a big box. He felt bad about lying so he wanted to find Little Cat Z on his own."

The Cat in the Hat covered his mouth. He looked out his window at the hills bordering Solla Sollew, shuttering in fear. He straightened his hat and ran out the door.

"All of you stay where you are. I have to find Cat Jr." Then he slunk threw the bars of his gate and was gone.

The Little Cats dropped their supplies and looked out the door with Joe. They were on the west side of Solla Sollew, right next to the river. It was early in the morning and the sky was deep orange. It was very windy. So windy in fact that it blew some of the smaller Little Cats back in the house. Little Cat U almost fell over but Joe scooped up the first Little Cat he knew and held him close. Then something began to smell. It wasn't a bad smell, it just certainly wasn't good either. Think of smoke from a fire and that wax they put on new cars.

"W-what is that smell?" Joe asked Little Cat U.

Little Cat U patted his thumb. "If we're lucky, it's someone burning something that isn't usually burned."

"And if we're not lucky?"

Little Cat U didn't say anything. Instead the usually optimistic Little Cat Y snuck onto Joe's shoulder. "The glunk is waking up."

* * *

The Little Cats of course did not listen to the Cat's word. After an hour of strange smells and odd wind they assembled into Little Cat A's hat and came to Joe. "You'll be our transportation. As young as you are, you're faster and we must find the Cat. Time is working against us."

Joe did as the Little Cats said. He loaded Little Cat A and his hat onto his back and they left the house at noon. The house must've been nervous to. Usually it only disappeared and reappeared over night. Now every time they opened the door they were in a new part of Solla Sollew. This time the house was right by the park. Recognizing this area better then most Joe ran out the gate and down the street.

No thinks were outside. The once peaceful streets flooded by zeps and ghairs were quiet, frightened, and full of dread. Then suddenly a certain voice screamed at the skies.

"Hear it! Hear it!" it was a floppy-eared Bippo-no-bungus. "Hear it! Don't you hear it? Look!"

In a split second an enormous yawn was heard.

_**CRRRUUUUUUUMP**_

Then it showed itself.

The glunk was enormous! It was the size of three houses put together. It was a fluffy think with bright green fur. It had and orange tuft of hair and tiny hands. It had huge catlike eyes and a mouth wider then a hippopotamus. It was the one who made that load noise. It turned in the direction of Solla Sollew and smiled, its body still half way through its cave.

Suddenly the streets were alive as thinks of all shapes and sizes ran from their homes and to shelter. The glunk laughed at the effort to save themselves. It squeezed out of the cave and stomped across the hills to the river Wa-hoo.

Birds and bugs tried everything to delay the huge think but it was pointless. The only time the glunk was actually held back was when it stepped unknowingly into the river Wa-hoo and sunk. It screamed for a few seconds before clinging to dear life to a building and getting back on it's feet. Because the building was to high to scale, the slunk smashed it down to the first story and got through. Waiting for him on the other side where the braver residents of Solla Sollew willing to fight for their town.

"We don't tolerate troubles like you!" said a think to the glunk lighting a fizz-a-mag-itz and firing at its face. The glunk shook it off and used the top of the building he destroyed to push the party out of his way. It laughed as it watched them crash into their walls.

It was so happy that it let out a call to let the other thinks in Solla Sollew know it was coming for them too.

The Little Cats and Joe did as most thinks did and hid out of sight as the glunk destroyed their town. They heard the screams and cries of a thousand other thinks off in the distance where the glunk stood. They were all hiding under a fallen roof of one of the houses. It was a cramped space but it had just enough room in it for Joe to look around and notice the familiar faces in the crowd. In the corner, huddling under think's bushy tail were a frightened Izzy and Ichabod.

"Hey!" Joe called to them despite Little Cat A's best wishes. "You two!"

"It's you!" said Izzy. There was no stress about being quiet. There was no way the glunk could hear them and the many thinks inside were already yapping up a storm as it was. Joe sinked through the crowd to Ichabod and Izzy's side. He also hid himself under the tail they were using. "You found the Cat in the Hat didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Where is he now?"

"Gone again," said Little Cat A. "You have you seen him anywhere? Him or Cat Jr?"

Ichabod shook his head and Izzy shook hers too. "You're the first person today we've seen who we recognize. Our momma and papa are nowhere to be found."

"What about the pale green pants?" asked Joe.

"We haven't seen them at all. I hope they're alright," Ichabod said.

"Please," begged a voice from underneath Little Cat A's hat. It was Little Cat C. "A pair of pants is on the top of your agenda? How selfish of you children."

"It is not!" harped Izzy.

"Yeah!" Joe said. "If it wasn't for those pants I would never have made it to the Cat in the Hat's house!"

"Maybe you shouldn't have made it! If it weren't for you and that horrid Cat Jr. none of this would be happening."

"Little Cat C!" hissed the rest of the Little Cats from under him and in his hat. Silenced, Little Cat C scurried back in his place.

A voice called for the attention of all the thinks. "All of you listen closely. Try to keep calm and all eyes on me."

Joe tried to get a good look at whoever was talking. He couldn't because all the other thinks were nudging and budging to hard for him to see. Three figures stepped through the crowd. One of them stood high on the shoulders of the others.

"Quick! Hold us up boy!" said Little Cat A. "We'll see whose talking."

Joe held no objections. With the help of Ichabod and Izzy he hoisted Little Cat A and the others onto his shoulders.

"Well who is it?"

"A sneetch! Fleesh sneetch from the beach! He's here and I think that's Breetch sneetch holding him up. I'm not sure though."

Joe tried to see for himself but very soon did the sneetch decide to give his speech.

"Listen closely to us!" the plain-belly sneetch said. "We have a plan! If we all work together we can luir that glunk to a place where it will most defiantly be sunk! Think of something that will get the glunk to follow you! Then follow us to our beaches. We'll tie rope around the glunk's feet and make it sink in the ocean. It can't swim! It's full-proof!"

With no one giving the plan a second thought, they cheered and ran out of the hiding place at the sneetch's command. "That's it, let's not fret! Tell everyone who will listen! We'll get that glunk yet!"

Little Cat A hopped out of Joe grasp and tried to stop the much larger thinks running by him. "Wait a minute everyone! Stop! Stop! There's no need to run from danger! The Cat in the Hat has it under control, please!"

Little Cat A was ignored by everyone, even Ichabod and Izzy. They ran outside with the other thinks. Joe and the Little Cats were on their own again.

* * *

Those who weren't fending off the glunk in their own way, a pretty useless cause as it was, were busy out of the glunk's sight getting supplies and going over the sneetch's plan. Despite the fact that it sounded solid to Joe Little Cat A forbid him from talking with the other thinks as much as they could.

"What we need to do is find the Cat in the Hat!" they said. "That's our motive and that's what we need to do!"

"Hellooooo~" sang a sly voice to Joe's ear. It was the Fox in Socks again. "I see you're just as against this whole plan as I am?"

"Not now Mr. Fox," Joe said, "it's not a good time."

"Oh why not? There's always time for a rhyme. A rhyme for that glunk I should say, what you think?"

"I think-"

"The thunk glunk will sunk,

Less he has a funk,

That sunk or not sunk,

There'll soon be nothing left to bunk,

In his bunking-bump-bunk,

When he's bunk it all down,

He'll be just one thunk,

One sad unthinkable thunk-glunk,

Who if stopped will mot need to be sunk!"

"Stop!" said Joe.

"I know, that has to much "unk" in there. Sounds like I'm trying to hard honestly. Here, why don't you help me?"

"No! Mr. Fox we have to find the Cat in the Hat this instant. Bother someone else with your tongue twisters!" Little Cat A hissed. He and Joe ran into a crowd, pushing thinks out of the way. But every time they squeezed out of a situation they found themselves right at the blue socks of the fox.

"Well that won't work now will it?" said the Fox in Socks. "I don't know why you're even looking so hard for the Cat in the Hat."

"What do you mean?" said Little Cat A.

"Yeah, there's no way we can find him!" Joe said.

"Then who is that?" asked the Fox.

Joe and Little Cat A looked up and right across the way was none other then the Cat! Little Cat A ran towards the Cat but Joe stayed back to shake the Fox's sock. "Thank you so much Mr. Socks Fox!"

"No problem my Joe Slow," the Fox said.

Then Joe ran to catch up with the Little Cats and meet back up with the Cat. Maybe he had found Cat Jr. too! Just as he was about to reach him did four paws pinch his ankle.

"Wait a minute boy," said Little Cat B. "Stay out of the way for a second."

Someone Joe didn't recognize right away was cornering the Cat in the Hat on the street. It was Gus only without his hat. Sam I am, also hat-less was by his side. He had the worst looking open-wound on his head.

"You nine-lived numskull! You beast of true burdan! You…disgrace to the felidae family!" Gus shouted.

"Alright, alright, so maybe I should have told you two that wire won't protect you from glunk feet," the Cat in the Hat said.

"I can't believe you. After everything that's happened over the years you still can't be trusted! Why did we let you possess those small cats? You keep them safe in a hat of all things!"

"Now, now. Do not insult my hat good sir," the Cat in the Hat said. "Besides, I told you I am not the one who lost track of Little Cat Z. It was my son."

"That makes you look any better? He was your responsibility. You should have kept an eye on him."

"Now Gus," murmured Sam at last moving. He was trying to get his feet on the ground, but was also holding his bright red forehead. "Don't do that. He's our neighbor still."

Gus glared at the Cat in the Hat expectantly. He did nothing. Gus shook his head and pulled Sam-I-Am aside. "VOOMs are a thing of the past Sam. I think we should follow that plan everyone else has of luring that thing to the ocean. Well, I am at least. I'll find you some place where you can fix your head."

Sam-I-Am felt his forehead, still wobbling to the side a bit. "If only I had some green eggs and ham. That would do the trick I tell you!"

"If only we had a house again." Then Gus said to the already upset Cat in the Hat. "It serves you right if your son gets smooshed."

"No it doesn't!" Joe remarked. None of the men standing there noticed Joe until then. The Little Cats tried pulling him back but Joe wanted none of it. "Cat Jr. didn't know and didn't tell his dad anything!"

"You!" Gus said recognizing Joe. He forgot about the Cat in the Hat and let go of Sam's arm, who fell over. "You said everything was alright. You lied to Sam and I!"

"That's not-"

"It's because of you that we, and so many others in this town, don't have a home! We woke up this morning when we heard something hit our roof. Then all of the sudden our complex was crushed by a giant glunk foot!"

"I'm sorry to hear that-"

"We lost our home, I lost my hat, and Sam here was hit in the head by a door that fell out of nowhere! He's lucky if his brain ever works the same way again!"

"That isn't true!" Sam protested from behind, "ah'm fine…."

"The Cat is an idiot but you aren't even a think! You're more like a what than a think! What do you have to say for yourself?"

Angry as ever Joe decided he'd say exactly what he was thinking. "Why are you mad at the Cat when you should be helping your friend?"

The dog think looked at the small, red-faced little boy and then at his half conscious friend. Without saying anything to Joe he went over to Sam and got him to stand on his feet.

"Are you alright Sam?"

Sam wasn't paying attention to Gus. "Oh look! It's…um…what is that boy named again?"

Gus picked up Sam by the wrist and pulled him along. "It doesn't matter."

Joe watched Gus and Sam leave. He remembered being grateful towards them and the home they let him share. What ever that place looked like now must've been awful. This whole place he had lived in for almost a week was beautiful and now it was a nightmare.

The Cat did not sporadically disappear like he usually did. He just stood there looking at the ground.

He deflated. First his tail, then his whiskers, then finally his hat, which fell to his shoulders like a melting candle.

"Cat? The glunk is going to be here any minute," said Little Cat A. "We have to find some place safe we can stay."

The Cat didn't notice. "My son's been squished."

That was all he could say.


	12. In Anywhere

Down in Anywhere, or the system of pathways under the city, Cat Jr. had been searching with Thing 1 and Thing 2 all day. There were no little cats and VOOMs to be found. It was just dark, murky water from the river Wa-hoo.

"Thing 1?" asked Cat Jr.

The older Thing turned to Cat Jr. "Woo?" he said.

"What if we don't find Little Cat Z? I mean how can we see him? This is no place for me anyway."

But Thing 1 simply shrugged off the kitten's complaints. "Wowoo eh ceen ben," he said. This of course was thing-lish for "you worry more then your mother ever did. I swear it young cat, you are a wreck. We shall find that Little Cat and his VOOM as well. How and when, well only time can truly tell. Still, we will."

Sometimes things are more talkative then you think.

The corridors were unthinkably narrow and dark. Only the matches Thing 1 and Thing 2 kept in their hair (just in case) lit the way. Then up ahead in the darkness the three thinks saw a tiny light fall from a hole. Thing 2 picked it up from the puddle of water it had fallen into. He handed it to Cat Jr. who turned it from side to side. Finally he diagnosed the object.

"It's Little Cat Z's light!" he said. "You know? The one he uses so that people who aren't cats or thinks can see him?"

The Things and Cat Jr. looked at the hole from which the light fell. It was a tiny hole about four feet out of reach. Cat Jr. stepped back.

"Little Cat Z!" he called. "It's Cat Jr. and Thing 1 and 2. We're here to help you! Are you there?"

No one answered.

"Are you there?"

Nothing.

"Please?"

Then a very deep but very weak voice started to moan. "Wh-who is that?"

Cat Jr. and the Things jumped with glee at the sound of Little Cat Z's voice. "I'm here, whoever you are…" Little Cat Z sighed.

"It's me Cat Z!" said Cat Jr. "I'm coming to get you! Don't worry!"

"Alright…" Cat Z said.

The Things looked at Cat Jr. and up at the hole. It was far to small for him to get through. The smallest Little Cats of course but not him. He would have to pull off one of his dad's hat tricks to get in.

Cat Jr. would not give up. "Hoist me up Thing 1, you too Thing 2."

Reluctantly Thing 2 hopped on his brother's shoulders and Cat Jr. crawled up on both of them. He peeked inside the very small hole. The things watched him unfold his hat.

Cat Jr's hat was too far too big for him. It hung down like a saggy bag. Not once could Cat Jr. produce a single, solid trick from it. Failure was not an object as far as he was concerned. He folded the hat inside out and planted it firmly into the wall. A striped tunnel formed from the hat.

The Things and Cat Jr. couldn't believe it. His trick actually worked! At long last he succeeded in doing one of his dad's tricks!

Celebrating had to wait. Cat Jr. crawled though his hat tunnel until he reached the other side. The Things waited patiently for him. In a few nail biting seconds, they thought the worst.

"He fey foo?" said Thing 2 to Thing 1.

"Whuz," said Thing 1.

Can you blame them for thinking that? Aunt Annie did keep her alligator down in the sewer though so it was possible.

Luckily Cat Jr. did stick his head out the hat-tunnel and back onto Thing 2's shoulders. "I got him!" he said. "Thing 1, Thing 2, I have Little Cat Z in my hand! See?"

By that he meant for them to take a listen since Little Cat Z wasn't visible. Cat Jr. unfolded his gloved hand and let Little Cat Z speak clearly.

"Good work…you three…"

Thing 1, Thing 2, and Cat Jr. cheered. They actually did it. They did the impossible. Save the impossible to save. It was a glorious day to be young cat that had learned how to use his hat tricks.

"Come on!" said Cat Jr. to Things 1 and 2, "let's get to the surface of Solla Sollew! Now we have VOOM! My dad will be so happy!"

"Cat Jr," Little Cat Z said, "wait one minute…"

But Cat Jr. didn't hear him. He and the Things reached the place that they came in. The red box was sitting out where it usually was. "Don't worry, I won't waist a VOOM on this. Thing 1 and 2 won't you please do the trick?"

Thing 2 and Thing 1 saluted the youngster and pulled out their forever-flying kites. They flew to the ceiling and latched onto the rocks there. With a tug of the strings the kite sent the cats and Things flying through the roof and onto the surface.


	13. Unthunked

"On a boat!" cried Sam-I-Am when he woke up. He was startled when something hit the window of the Solla Sollew infirmary. It was a think that had been sent hurdling from outside. A maniacal glunk laugh followed.

"Sam, it's okay," said Joe by his side. "It's just someone else being hit against the window."

"Oh…" Sam scratched the bandages over his head and asked Joe for his hat. "I guess my brain really isn't working like it use to."

"You're talking normal," Joe said, "that's a good sign." Joe and anyone else who was to small to fight were forced to look after the thinks that needed looking after. Playing doctor was not his cup of tea but it was to right thing to do.

"How come we can't fight out with everyone else again?" asked Izzy as she bandaged up a bird think's beak.

"Only people who are big enough and not the Cat in the Hat get to fight the glunk. That's what Fleesh sneetch said anyways," Ichabod said.

"But they're not even fighting it," said Izzy, "their luiring it to an ocean. That's not the same as fighting. Besides, I think the Cat in the Hat isn't that big a failiure. Right Mr. Cat?"

But the shamed Cat in the Hat couldn't respond. He stayed there in the infirmary until the glunk was handled and everyone knew what to do with him. He looked to gray, to sad, to uncomfortable to possibly emote happiness.

"They can't drown a glunk. Why are there glunks in the first place? Because you can't unthunk them! There is no way around it."

"Why didn't you worn them?" Izzy asked.

"They wouldn't listen."

"This whole thing has been caused by people not listening. Why don't you do something about it?"

"Because the more you don't listen the harder things are to understand," the Cat said. It wasn't a good response but it was true. Truthfulness is one of the hardest responses to come by.

"Does anyone else hear something?" asked Sam. He and a few other patients stood up in their beds. Everyone stared out the window. There was a big puff of dust and a large thudding sound. A whole bed of towering flowers were destroyed.

"The glunk's tripped!" Joe cried.

The Cat peered out the window at the valley beyond the town. Far off in the distance you might be able to see the sneetch beaches and the ocean beyond them if you squinted hard enough.

"Cat," said Sam, "isn't that your house?"

The Cat in the Hat looked at the fallen glunk. What had tripped it was his estate. It must have been popping up here and there every minute or so with the stress of the situation. But it wasn't usually like the house to appear in places like towering-flower fields on it's own. Someone had to usually make that happen.

* * *

None of the bystanders watching from the safety of their houses could fathom the pandemonium that was happening below in the towering flower field.

"How on earth did this house get here?" gasped Fleesh sneetch.

The glunk had fallen over and was squirming about on the ground over the red and white brick house. The army Solla Sollew citizens tried everything to hold it down. The sneetches were not the strongest creatures but working together brought out the best in them. They held down one side of the glunk's snout. No one held down the other side except for the pale green pants all by themselves.

"Wonderful work pants!" said Fleesh sneetch from his side. "The rest of you, help out any way you can!"

The sneetches tried to get the glunk from standing up again. They pushed their large hindquarters against it and kept it from squirming. It goes without saying that the glunk was not in the least bit pleased.

"Excuse me!" larked a happy voice. It was the Fox in Socks who hopped on top of the head of the other thinks and up their ropes to the glunk's head.

"What are you doing?' asked Gus from within the crowd.

The immensely strong pair of green pants tried to shake the little fox off but he reached the glunk anyhow. "Hello Mr. Glunk sir. Please would you listen to my wager?" asked the fox.

"Get off! Get off! Get off!" the crowd yelled.

"The thunked glunk'll sunk,

Less he's in a funk,

That sunk or not sunk,

There'll soon be nothing left to bunk,

In his bunking-bump-bunk,

When he's bunk it-"

The glunk's yellow eyes turned red and with one thrash of its hand threw several innocent thinks into the towering flowers and knocking the fox off it's head.

"Well," said the Fox in Socks, "I never met such a poor sport."

The glunk started to stand up, held down only by the pale green pants. No one came to the poor article of clothing's rescue. The glunk stood up, all the other thinks fleeing in terror. It picked up the pants and began ruthlessly pulling apart its legs.

"Stop!"

Cat Jr. was standing on the house's front step with Things 1 and 2 peeking out from behind.

He looked at his friends cowering in fear of the glunk and the glunk rejoicing in their fear. He said to his hands, though no one else could see, "Come on, try! Try Little Cat Z!"

Little Cat Z was soaked. "I tell you young cat I can't do my VOOM. I have no VOOM left in me, I'll prove it to you."

Cat Jr. stepped back. The glunk smiled his big, nasty smile. It threw the pants harshly over his shoulder where they fell straight into Gus and Fleesh Sneetch's arms.

"_**CRRRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMP **_ ", it roared

But Cat Jr. wasn't afraid. "What if we try to 'unthink' the glunk?" he asked.

"There's no way to unthunk a glunk! You can't possibly do it!"

"Thinks are what make up this town though!" Cat Jr. said. The glunk drew closer. In no time they'd be squished. "What if trying to unthink it ends up triggering a VOOM in you? Come on, let's try it, I'll do it too!"

Young Cat Jr. waited for Little Cat Z's response. The glunk was standing at the base of the house and reaching for them. Then he said, "fine. I'll give it my best think."

The hand came closer, and closer, and closer until it's furry fingers were reaching over the two thinking cats. It pulled them up to its face and the glunk started to unfold its gigantic claw. "Wait!" Cat Z remarked, "wait a second! My head! It's burning me!"

So he took off his hat.

* * *

**VOOM!**

* * *

The VOOM stretched for miles. It stretched over the fields of the towering flowers and passed the river Wa-hoo. It made enormous waves in the beaches of the sneetches and covered Solla Sollew. Every house, standing or not, was doused in the VOOM. Every think was blinded for a second. The Cat, on his way out the infirmary fell backwards. His hat flew off. All the towering flowers and sneetches and thinks and pants were pushed back several feet from the area and Cat Jr. fell down with a thud.

The glunk had disappeared. For the VOOM had permanently unthunked it.

As quickly as it began the VOOM ended. The Cat slowly got back on his feet. He retrieved his fallen hat and put it back on his head.

"Cat!"

It was Sam, looking healthier then ever. The bandages on his head were gone and he waved at the Cat in the Hat with a big smile on his face. "Look around you! Just look!"

Oh, what a VOOM. No VOOM the Cat and Little Cat Z ever conceived was as powerful as it. The air was back to it's clean, fresh, blue-skied self. The sun was shining bright yellow. No strange smells surfaced in the least bit. The houses were back to the way they should be, in one piece.

And now it was beautiful, trouble-less Solla Sollew again.

"It was Cat Jr!" yelled Joe out the window. He couldn't keep it in. "Cat Jr. did this! He set off the VOOM!"

"Where are the rest of the Little Cats?" the Cat in the Hat asked.

Joe went inside and came out with a crowd of healthy thinks and children all running happily to their homes. He had Little Cat A on his shoulder who tipped his hat to the Cat. Little Cat B bowed underneath. "Top of the morning," he said. The Cat took the small cats and placed them back under his hat then ran off.


	14. The Thinker

"You are amazing young cat!" yelled the sneetches hoisting Cat Jr. into the air. He was to wowed by the VOOM to really understand what was going on. All the fighting thinks were clambering to get a sight of the savior cat.

"You and your unthinking! You saved Solla Sollew!" said Fleesh sneetch.

"I did?"

"There's no more glunk!" said the happy thinks. "You and that VOOM thunked it away."

Cat Jr. blushed and once Thing 1 and Thing 2 had his feet on the ground was he able to reply. "I-I didn't save anyone. It was Little Cat Z!"

"Stop it Cat Jr," said Little Cat Z. "The credit doesn't matter. If you ask me, it was all meant to be."

The Things took Cat Jr. by the shoulders and waved him around. "Wahoo!" they shouted in his ears. Presumably, it was thing-lish for "told you so".

As everyone was shaking his hand and thanking him for saving their lives, a voice cried out for Cat Jr's attention.

"Junior! Junior! Please let me through now!"

It was Cat Jr's dad, the Cat in the Hat who instantly picked up his kitten. "Oh thank goodness! I thought the worse," he said purring like an actual cat.

Touched, Cat Jr. hugged his father back. "I'm fine dad."

The Cat stood up very calmly and crouched down to Cat Jr's level. He took off his hat, revealing Little Cat A. "Come on Little Cat Z, we need you up here. It's not the same without you."

All the Little Cats cheered as Little Cat Y opened up his hat and let Little Cat Z in. "Oh…home sweet home…" he sighed with relief. Then each Little Cat put their hat on the other until there was no one but the Cat in the Hat himself, who put on his large, fitting hat.

Then the Cat picked up his son. "You are a great Cat in the Hat. You've done your first clean up job. It's the best one I've ever seen! Isn't that right Thing 1 and Thing 2?"

The Things nodded and agreed but Cat Jr. was not as happy. "Dad I'm sorry. This whole thing was cause of me. I didn't-"

"Now, now," the Cat said maturely, "I should have told you about the glunk instead of keeping it from you. If I wasn't acting like a child you wouldn't have."

Cat Jr. was confused. "But you always say it's important to act like a child."

"Sometimes," said the Cat. Then he flung his son over his shoulders and walked with the Things out of the crowd. He announced to the rest of the bystanders a very truthful, meaningful message. "If you still have any problems, find us, the _Cats _in the Hats. We'll fix it for you. Guaranteed."

Cat Jr. was mesmerized that he was talking about him. "You mean-"

"That's right son. You're one of the passé now. Come on, we have places to go!" the Cat said as they walked by young Joe. He sat there and watched the father and son celebrate and the thinks rejoice in their newfound freedom from the terrible glunk. The Little Cats were back where they should be and now the troubles were few again.

Still, something felt very out of place. He just couldn't tell what that was.


	15. At home

"Our house is the best!" Sam-I-Am remarked holding up a plate of his favorite dish, green eggs and ham. He, Joe, and Gus stood in front of their home, restored and stable as ever after the VOOM. "And to think," Sam said nudging his Gus with his free arm, "someone thought that we'd be homeless! Oh, how silly of him!"

Gus twitched in embarrassment. He straightened his returned hat and looked at Joe. "I am sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to make you feel that bad young…um…what was your name again?"

"Joe Lesieg," Joe said.

"Lesieg. I don't know what I can do that'd make up for it but if you can think of anything I'll see what Sam and I can whip up," Gus said smiling his best.

Joe looked at their fine, safe haven of a house and shook his head. "I can't think of anything. Thanks though."

"Wait Joe," said Sam, "where are you going after this?"

"I don't know."

"Well if you can't find any place to go you could always come back here," Sam said. "Our doors are back open, though there might be a payment this time."

Joe shrugged, "Maybe." Then he waved goodbye to the thinks and went off on his way.

He was headed for the Solla Sollew park, trying to find someone who would help him find someone else. While there he ended up finding Izzy, Ichabod, and the pale green pants. The pants had been given a medal of honor. "Heroic anthropomorphic pants award", was what the tag on his pocket said.

"That's quite an achievement pants," Joe said shaking the pants's sleeve. "Do you know where I might be able to find the Cat in the Hat by any chance?"

Izzy and the pants didn't know anything but Ichabod did. "I saw him talking with the Fox in Socks earlier about something. Go find him. I'm pretty sure he went out on the river today."

Then Joe realized there was no way he'd be able to leave Solla Sollew if he couldn't get across the river. Luckily, when in doubt, you always have pants. And the pale green pants were more then happy to oblige.

"Thanks Ichabod! Thanks Izzy!" Joe said as the pants and him ran down the hill.

* * *

The pants hopped over the tall buildings in a single lunge where it and Joe landed in the river. Luckily it was a very strong kicker (like you would imagine) and swam Joe to shore. The pants didn't like walking when they were wet so Joe had to get out and dry them off before they started again, but once they did the ride was faster then it was even in a what-you-might-call-it. The pants ran across the valley of towering flowers and into the sandy dunes of the beaches. Joe stepped out and thanked them for the ride.

"See you again pale green pants!" he said, "thank you for everything!"

And now Joe was alone. He had never walked in this valley or county by himself. He always had the company of a Little Cat or a think to keep him going. The more he thought about everything he saw, good and bad, big and small, the more it astounded him.

He had only been there one week.

Then Joe heard a particular voice that got his attention.

"So…if you freeze the fleas,

In the breeze of the cheese,

You might just sneeze,

At the freezing breezed cheese fleas," said the Fox in Socks

"Oh for the love of all that is good, please!" shouted Freesh Sneetch who was the Fox's unfortunate victim that day.

"Aha, "please", nice one there!"

"Hello you two!" Joe said getting their attention.

Fleesh sneetch was overjoyed to have someone break apart the conversation. "Hello Joe. Where are you headed?"

"I don't know," Joe said. He looked at the sand and the murky water of the sneetches beaches and asked, "is your home gonna be okay?"

Fleesh sneetch sighed. "I hope so. I figure that one day we can get someone to help us. We just need to be careful is all."

"Why did you almost trick a glunk into falling into your home then?"

Fleesh sneetch paused and put a hand to his lip. "Well I guess we were putting just a little bit more thought into the Cat in the Hat's idea and liked it." That response seemed allegeable for a sneetch. After all, they certainly weren't the smartest characters on the beaches. "Are you going to be staying for frankfurters again? We sort of liked that the last time you were here," Fleesh asked.

"No, sorry, not this time. I need to see the Fox in Socks actually."

"Oooooh!" grinned the Fox in Socks, "do you now? What is it you want?"

"Do you know where the Cat in the Hat might be?" asked Joe. "You knew last time."

"Ah yes!" purred the fox, "up that hill and to the left. He parked his house there today. It's the last time in a while he'll be back in this county. But first, if you want to know how to get up that hill you'll have to answer my ri-"

"Never mind Mr. Fox I can figure it out myself. See you again sometime," Joe said quickly.

The confused Fox in Socks tried to defend his peace but no one had ever cut him short of a rhyme before. "Um…goodbye?"

The beach was so beautiful from up high. It looked much cleaner and bright blue, like a sea should look like. Should you turn the other way and you would see past the valley the river Wa-hoo and the tiny buildings that made up Solla Sollew.

On the very top of the hill Joe saw the gate and the Cat's estate behind it. What a beautiful place to park a house. Right over the seaside, looking down on a sea and a colony of little thinks. And yet in no time at all, the house would move to a new location. That sounded like a pretty terrible house if that was the case but then again Joe wasn't a cat. Perhaps it made more sense to them.

He rang the front door when who answered but Cat Jr. He was wearing his hat up and had a new, swankier tie on.

"Hi Joe! What is it? Did you leave anything?" asked Cat Jr.

"No, but can I see your dad? Or at least your dad's hat?"

Cat Jr. blinked twice before calling his pop. "Dad! Joe is here, he says he wants to see your hat."

The Cat in the Hat arrived at the door. "Hello Joe," he said. He had two umbrellas and a hockey stick tucked under his arm. Anyone like Joe would be curious and for once the Cat was happy to explain.

"Tonight, Junior here is going on his first trip with me and the Things. He has to learn if he wants to fill in my hat one day."

"Trip?"

"Yeah!" Cat Jr. said taking his dad's arm. "My dad is going to visit someone who's feeling blue and I get to come along."

The Cat patted his son warmly on the head. "This time the Little Cats stay here while we're out. Come on; get inside Little Cat A and the rest of you. We're gonna be leaving soon."

The Cat took off his hat and Little Cat A plopped out. He "humphed" at the Cat and nearly walked inside.

"Wait Little Cat A, I need to see you!" said Joe.

"Hm? Oh it's you again," said Little Cat A. "What is it you need?"

"Could you take out Little Cat's U-Z. I really want to say something to them."

Little Cat A took off his hat and so did Little Cat B. Then Little Cat C then Little Cat D and so on and so forth until Little Cat T took off his hat and revealed Little Cat U.

"Joe!" squeaked Little Cat U's tiny voice. The other pin-sized cats all fell out of his hat and up to Joe's ankles. "How nice to see you! What is it you want to say?" they all asked.

What would you say? After every think he had met, been saved from, aggravated, helped out, or befriend, what could you say? After every place he had been that Joe knew he might never see again or at least not a place like it, what could he say? After everything the Little Cats had done for him, what could he say?

He had to think fast because it wasn't long before the Cat and Cat Jr, the Things, and the rest of the Little Cats were also waiting for his answer.

So Joe decided to simple say:

"Thanks."

* * *

Joe Lesieg left just as the sky was starting to get dark. He heard a what-you-might-call-it fire up and he waved the happy cats and Things goodbye on their next visit to a kid like him.

It was dark and the beaches were long but it didn't matter. He sang a sweet tune and he skipped right along. As dark as it was and as scary as everything sounded, Joe didn't pay attention in the least bit. All that mattered now was him and the night.

The hills started to lose their shape. The sea began to fade into nothing. The sky became darker than dark.

The more Joe walked the sleepier he became. That didn't matter of course. He came to Solla Sollew by sleepwalking. He'd probably leave it the exact same way.

He remembered this curvy road he walked down. Of course it was much quieter without the Little Cats talking to him.

Then he saw, humming to themselves in the distance, the crandles. They still looked peaceful and who knows how fast asleep they were. Or for that matter how long they were sleeping to begin with. For all he knew they had been sleeping all the while these events spiraled into being.

The crandles lulled him into the town and past any strange people who might have been peeping. Past the streets and the lampposts. All the way up to Joe's familiar, small house that he shared with his mother.

The door was unlocked and he snuck right in.

* * *

"Sweetie!" cooed Joe's mother.

Joe got up feeling very drowsy. His mother was holding a cup of hot chocolate. She handed it to her son and stroked his hair.

"I'm so sorry about all that happened earlier. I'm just a little tired. Are you feeling any better today honey?"

Joe stared at the cup, his mind racing faster than ever before.

"Joe?"

"Yeah, I do. Thank you mom."


	16. Disclaimer

**Just Think!**

The Thinker of Solla Sollew

(Disclaimer and info)

**Rating:** K

**Genre:** Adventure

**Chapter count:** 15

**Information regarding copyright: **I have made no money off this piece and do not plan to. It was made for fan related purposes only. All the characters belong to random House and the Dr. Seuss estate. The lyrics featured in the story were taken from "Oh the Thinks' you can think!" from _Seussical the Musical _and Dr. Seuss' songbook.

The names of the characters Ichabod and Izzy were lifted from LivingGames' _Dr. Seuss' ABC_. The names for Gus and Cat Jr. were taken from deviantART user SonyMae. The description of the Cat in the Hat's house was based on the special _The Grinch grinches the Cat in the Hat. _

**Information regarding Dr. Seuss lore: **All the characters in this book are from a pre-existing Dr. Seuss story. The stories include:

The Cat in the Hat 

The Sneetches and Other Stories 

Dr. Seuss' ABC 

Green Eggs and Ham 

The Cat in the Hat comes back 

Fox in Socks 

I can lick 30 tigers today!

This story also contains references to other Dr. Seuss stories and characters.

I had trouble in getting to Solla Sollew! (The name of the town, the river Wa-hoo, and the towering flowers)

If I ran the zoo (A Bippo-no-bungus)

There's a Wocket in my Pocket (Zeps and ghairs)

I can read with my eyes shut! (The instrument called the Hut-Zut)

The Lorax (A bird called a Swammy Swan and a mentioning of a thneed)

Hop on Pop (The thing that likes to sing)

And to think that I saw it only Mulberry Street (A street called Mulberry street)

**Final thoughts: **I hope you've enjoyed this story. It has been made out of impulse and even now I know it isn't perfect. Still, it was fun to write and it made me feel good while I finish it up. It's a very visual story so try and find my deviantART page for the version with illustrations.


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